Linda’s Story: A Way To Stop the Leaking
Linda Manfredi’s life changed significantly for the better after seeking help from Walid Kassem, MD, a urogynecologist at Miami Valley Hospital. Linda, 63, had several symptoms indicating a prolapsed uterus and bladder. Looking back, she wishes she had taken those symptoms more seriously.
Sleeping through the night was impossible, and routine activities like gardening caused her to worry that she might leak urine. “I could never sleep the entire night without getting up,” she recalled. “Activities like running or jumping were just impossible for fear of leaking.”
Linda also found that intimacy was uncomfortable. That is when she talked to her gynecologist, who recommended that she see Dr. Kassem.
The symptoms of a prolapsed bladder include pelvic pressure, lower back pain, urine dribble, incomplete emptying when urinating, recurrent urinary tract infections and frequent urination. “Dr. Kassem told me that I had a prolapsed uterus and bladder. They were both literally dropping out of me,” Linda said.
Highly Successful Surgery
Dr. Kassem scheduled Linda for a hysterectomy and bladder prolapse repair. “It is an extensive surgery, but minimally invasive, with no cutting in the abdomen, no meshes, and a highly successful surgery for vaginal prolapse,” he explained. “The fix is immediate. Patients leave the hospital without leaking.”
This vaginal approach is the least invasive of all minimally invasive procedures, and is recommended as the best approach by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, a national group of leading physicians providing health care for women.
Since the surgery can be done vaginally, there are fewer risks and faster recovery. “Dr. Kassem told me he tied up my bladder with one stitch,” Linda said. “The first thing I noticed, while I was still in the hospital, was that I could wait to go to the bathroom and when I finally went, it was a steady stream.”
Linda spent one night in the hospital and said the recovery was relatively easy. “I was told not to lift things, and to stay away from stairs, if possible. The pain was not too bad. I was feeling very good two weeks out and back to normal in about six weeks.”
Linda recently traveled to Europe, which involved an eight-hour plane ride, during which she never needed to use the restroom. “I’m not sure I could have done a trip like that before the surgery, and if I had gone on the trip, I definitely wouldn’t have enjoyed it as much.” Linda also said that she wishes she had known about the surgery earlier. “I would have had this done a lot sooner.”
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