Bladder Sling Procedure a Life-Changer for ICU Nurse

If you have urinary incontinence that interferes with your quality of life, you’re not alone!

“Many women think urinary incontinence is something they have to live with as they age,” says Dr. Nahla Merhi, a board-certified gynecologist and urogynecologist on staff at Silver Cross Hospital . “But they don’t have to.”

The Plan

At the initial appointment, Dr. Merhi may suggest Kegel exercises or other non-surgical treatments before seeing if the patient is a candidate for a bladder sling to lift the sagging neck of the urethra. Most bladder slings are done under “twilight” anesthesia. Dr. Merhi makes small incisions in the vagina under the urethra and implants a thin sling underneath. The procedure takes about 30 minutes.

Life-Changing Procedure

One patient, a 54-year-old intensive care unit (ICU) nurse, came to Dr. Merhi after suffering from urinary incontinence for several years. “It would happen when I sneezed, when I laughed, when I exercised,” the nurse said. Even worse, when there was an emergency code called in the ICU, she couldn’t sprint to respond.

Not only do many women not know about urogynecology, according to Dr. Merhi, they don’t know about this simple, outpatient procedure that can cure their incontinence. The nurse went home after the outpatient procedure — and the difference was immediate.

“At one point, I sneezed, and I looked at my husband, and I said, ‘Oh my God. Nothing!’ I was in tears! It has been life-changing,” she said.

Just Mention It

Dr. Merhi says that women often wait longer than they need to because they believe it’s just a part of aging, or it’s because they are embarrassed. “It is a really easy procedure that will change your life,” she added. “This isn’t something you have to live with.”

Watch Dr. Merhi’s health segment “Breaking Down the Stigmas of Incontinence & Prolapse” on WGN-TV by clickinghere.

For more information on treatment for urinary incontinence, please visit silvercross.org.