Life Matters | winter 2004



 

Suffering from Incontinence? Laurel Physicians Can Help

 
 
Anthony Daniels, MD, and Robert DeSantis, MD, board-certified physicians in the practice of obstetrics and gynecology with The Women’s Clinic of Laurel, are among the first physicians in the nation performing a new, minimally invasive procedure to cure stress incontinence. This condition affects more than 17 million women in the United States.

“Stress incontinence, commonly caused by pregnancy or childbirth, occurs when the pelvic muscles that support the bladder are weakened,” says Dr. Daniels. “As many as three out of 10 new mothers accidentally leak urine when they laugh, cough, lift, sneeze, or exercise. Many women suffer in silence from stress incontinence out of embarrassment or lack of knowledge or awareness of treatment options.”

The new outpatient surgery performed at South Central employs the Monarc Subfascial Hammock. “We place a mesh under the urethra to support the damaged or weakened pelvic muscles,” says Dr. DeSantis. “The hammock shape of the Monarc mesh under the urethra mimics the normal female anatomy and provides support during a cough or sneeze, keeping the urethra closed and preventing the involuntary loss of urine. The procedure offers an effective solution for curing stress incontinence.”

“The new approach is less invasive than existing treatments and can be completed in a few minutes,” says Dr. Daniels. “Previously women suffering from incontinence underwent major surgery under general anesthesia that involved a long recovery period and an extensive hospital stay. My patients usually return home the same day and quickly regain control of their lives.”

For more information, call The Women’s Clinic of Laurel at 649-9904.



The editorial content of this online publication is taken from the print version of Life Matters published by South Central Regional Medical Center.

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