Male Voiding Dysfunction and Reconstruction Surgery

Ochsner’s board-certified, fellowship-trained urological surgeons are leaders in the region with advanced training and a depth of experience in complex reconstruction procedures. What’s more, our team includes experienced urodynamics nurses.

At Ochsner we don’t just treat the condition – we treat the person. Our team strives to be sensitive to your needs and will treat you with both dignity and respect.

For men, benign prostate disease is the leading cause of voiding symptoms. Approximately 40% of older men have urination control difficulties from an inflamed or enlarged prostate. Other causes can include:

• Over-active or non-relaxing pelvic floor muscles
• Nerve problems affecting the way bladder muscles contract
• Blockages within the urethra ¬(the tube that takes urine out of the body)
• Bladder stones
• Cancerous and non-cancerous tumors
• Urinary incontinence
• Painful bladder syndrome (interstitial cystitis)

Incontinence can be caused by

• Neurologic diseases such as MS, stroke and spinal cord injury
• Surgeries to treat prostate cancer and colorectal cancers
• Radiation treatment in the pelvis

Lower urinary tract symptoms include:

• Difficulty emptying the bladder
• Urinary hesitancy
• Urgency
• Frequent urination
• A slow urine stream or weak stream
• A weak urine stream
• Incomplete voiding
• Dribbling urine
• Need to strain to urinate

Men with lower urinary tract symptoms have options when it comes to treatment. Your Ochsner urologist’s recommendation will depend upon the severity of your symptoms and how much they affect your quality of life.

Ochsner offers several options for treating male voiding symptoms, including:

• Behavioral therapy - Behavioral treatments improve symptoms by teaching skills and changing the patient's behavior.
• InterStim^TM therapy - An implantable device sends mild electrical pulses to the sacral nerves which control the bladder and the muscles related to urinary function
• Percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS) - A minimally invasive outpatient procedure that electrically stimulates the posterior tibial nerve.
• Botox® injections for the bladder – when locally injected, this powerful drug temporarily paralyzes muscles and can be effective in treating urinary incontinence.
• Transurethral resection of the prostate
• Other minimally invasive procedures to treat the prostate

For men with post prostatectomy incontinence, treatment can vary but we offer the following:

• Physical therapy
• Urethral bulking agents
• Male slings
• Artificial urinary sphincters
• Posterior Tibial Nerve Stimulation
• InterStim^TM therapy
• Botox injection of the bladder

At Ochsner, we want to make the most of your time when you come – especially when you come in from out of town. Your first visit will begin with a review of a list of questions available to you ahead of time through your MyOchsner account. These questions will ensure that you don’t forget to tell your doctor about any symptoms you might have experienced. When you make your appointment, you’ll be given instructions on how to access these questions through your MyOchsner account.

To make an appointment, call 842-4083.

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