Retropubic suspension treats stress urinary incontinence in women. The surgery lifts the sagging bladder and urethra. Then it supports them in their normal positions in the pelvis. The urethra is the tube that carries urine from the bladder to outside the body.
In open surgery, a doctor makes a cut in your lower belly. This cut is called an incision. The doctor will attach the bladder and the urethra to the pubic bone or other tissues. The stitches lift and hold the bladder and urethra in their normal positions. Then the doctor will close the incision with stitches.
You'll have a scar that's about 5 inches long. The scar will fade with time.
Most women go home 2 or 3 days after the surgery. You may be able to go back to most of your usual activities in 2 to 4 weeks. But you may need 4 to 6 weeks to fully recover.
Surgery can be stressful. This information will help you understand what you can expect. And it will help you safely prepare for surgery.
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Retropubic suspension is surgery to treat stress urinary incontinence in women. The surgery lifts the sagging bladder and urethra and supports them in their normal positions in the pelvis. The urethra is the tube that carries urine from the bladder to outside the body. After surgery, you may feel weak and tired for several days. You will probably feel some pain or cramping in your lower belly and need pain medicine for a week or two. You may feel like you need to urinate more often, and your urine may be pink. This usually gets better 1 to 2 weeks after surgery.
You will have a tube (catheter) in place to drain urine from your bladder.
You should have less or no urine leakage when you sneeze, cough, laugh, or exercise. In fact, at first you may find that it's harder than usual to empty your bladder. This usually gets better 1 to 2 weeks after the catheter is removed.
You will probably be able to go back to work and most of your usual activities in 2 to 4 weeks. But you may need 4 to 6 weeks to fully recover. Try to avoid heavy lifting and strenuous activities that might put extra pressure on your bladder while you recover.
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