Bladder Sling Procedure a Life-Changer for ICU Nurse

If you have urinary incontinence that interferes with your lifestyle and quality of life, you’re not alone, and you don’t need to suffer in silence! 

“Many women think urinary incontinence is something they have to put up with as they age, and they just deal with it,” says Dr. Nahla Merhi, a board-certified gynecologist and urogynecologist on staff at Silver Cross Hospital  in New Lenox. “They will just buy the pads and the special underwear and live with it. But they don’t have to.” 

The Plan

At the initial appointment, Dr. Merhi may suggest Kegel exercises or other non-surgical treatments. If those don’t help, she will order some tests to see if the woman is a candidate for a bladder sling to lift the sagging neck of the urethra. 

Although urinary incontinence is an increasing problem as a woman ages, she has seen patients as young as 26, maybe who have dealt with a difficult vaginal birth. 

There are several forms of bladder slings, but most 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. 

“And patients can see the difference in as little as a week,” she said. 

Life-Changing Procedure

One recent bladder sling 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. “I love to exercise. But I couldn’t even do jumping jacks. If I took a walk, I would have to do it first thing in the morning, before I had any water.” 

Even worse, when there was an emergency code called in the ICU, she couldn’t sprint to respond. 

“The incontinence was affecting all aspects of my life. So, I decided to do some research and found Dr. Merhi.” 

As a urogynecologist, Dr. Merhi specializes in both urology and gynecology, treating pelvic floor disorders, bladder control issues, fecal incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse. 

Not only do many women not know about urogynecology, Dr. Merhi said, they don’t know about a simple, outpatient procedure that in many cases can cure their incontinence. 

The nurse went home after a short recovery for the outpatient procedure. There was some soreness, but it was manageable, she said. 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.” 

Just Mention It

Dr. Merhi said women often wait longer than they need to for the bladder sling procedure, sometimes because they believe it’s just a part of aging, and others because they are embarrassed. So much so, they don’t even mention it to their primary care physician. 

“I did,” the nurse said. “She’s about my age. And she just kind of looked at me like, ‘What are you going to do?’” 

Since her surgery, the nurse, though shy about broadcasting her former situation to the world, has made it her mission to tell her circle of friends what they can do about the urinary incontinence. 

“It is a really easy procedure that will change your life. This isn’t something you have to live with.” 

Because her job in ICU involves a lot of heavy lifting and activity, she took a couple weeks off after the surgery. But Dr. Merhi said for those with a more sedentary job, they can go back to work after a long weekend’s rest. 

“I was shopping at Jewel two days later,” the nurse said.

 But not for pads or any incontinent supplies. The nurse said the commercials for those products aren’t all bad, however. 

“At least they bring the issue of urinary incontinence out of the shadows, so people don’t need to feel embarrassed. 

“The commercials normalize the problem. But you don’t have to live with it. The bladder sling is amazing.” 

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

To view Dr. Merhi’s recent health segment “Breaking Down the Stigmas of Incontinence & Prolapse” on WGN-TV, visit https://youtu.be/VaEtWFwF7JU