Know Your Risk Factor for Urinary Incontinence

In the United States, there are about 20 million of American women and six million American men who have suffered from urinary incontinence. It is a medical condition described as the unintentional passing of urine. It is a very common problem and is thought to affect millions of people worldwide. The number of people with urinary incontinence, however, may be higher because of some of the patients find it difficult to talk about it. Urinary incontinence affects about twice as many women as men and becomes more common with age. 
Some health conditions and life events can put you at risk of developing either urinary incontinence. These are known as risk factors. There are several risk factors that increases your chance of developing urinary continence. You may be more likely to experience urinary incontinence if you:

• Age
• Smoking
• pregnancy (both pre and post-natal women)
• younger women who have had children menopause
• obesity
• urinary tract infections
• constipation
• specific types of surgery such as prostatectomy (removal of all or part of the prostate) and hysterectomy (removal of all or part of the uterus and/or ovaries)
• reduced mobility preventing you from getting to or using the toilet
• neurological and musculoskeletal conditions such as multiple sclerosis and arthritis
• health conditions such as diabetes, stroke, heart conditions, respiratory conditions, and prostate problems, and some medications.

Your doctor may prescribe you with treatment option depending on the severity of the incontinence and its underlying cause. In most cases, the doctor may recommend you with less invasive treatment first. If other treatments are not working, several surgical procedures have been developed to fix problems that cause urinary incontinence.
There is a new minimally invasive surgical procedure for urinary incontinence called robotic-assisted surgery. It uses state-of-the art technology that requires only a few small incisions and allows patients to recover faster. It enables your doctor to operate with enhanced vision, precision, dexterity and control. da Vinci’s 3D, high-definition vision system allows surgeons to see key anatomy with immense depth and clarity. However, there are reports that some patients experience serious health complications during or after the surgery. Always ask your doctor about all treatment options, as well as their risks and benefits. For a more complete information on surgical risks, safety and indications for use, please refer to the page on da Vinci lawsuit at davinci-lawsuit.org