Researchers at the University of Sheffield have developed a novel implantable material which could reduce the number of debilitating side-effects that occur as a result of using a material that is too rigid for surgical treatment of incontinence.
In the UK, it is estimated between 3 and 6 million people suffer with some degree of urinary incontinence. Stress urinary incontinence is the leakage of urine when there is pressure on the bladder, such as through sneezing, laughing or exercise, often as a result of childbirth, surgery or menopause.
The research at Sheffield, with two separate papers published in PLOS ONE and the Journal of Urology, provides evidence for using a softer and more elastic material to support the urethra. This comes as a new study shows that the long-term impact of vaginal childbirth delivery is associated with an almost twofold increase in the risk of stress urinary incontinence.
Current treatment for the condition uses a rigid woven polypropylene mesh device, implanted under the urethra to repair damaged or weakened tissue. The material used in this device was originally designed for hernia repairs but was rapidly re purposed in the mid-1990’s for use in urinary incontinence surgery, for which it is now used worldwide.
The majority of women with the condition elect to undergo surgery, with the NHS carrying out around 13,500 operations each year in the UK to treat urinary incontinence or pelvic organ prolapse. However, over the last decade, thousands of patients have developed complications from the use of the current material after stress urinary incontinence surgery. Serious complications, including chronic pain, infection, failure or erosion of the implant are estimated to occur in around 15 per cent of women.
Sheffield’s Centre for Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering Group, working with international collaborators in Europe, have constructed a novel implantable device using elastic polyurethane which replicates the natural recoil of a healthy pelvic floor.
To read the full article visit MNT Wesite
Please visit our Stress Urinary Incontinence page for more information on the condition
