Urology
Urological Conditions
Incontinence
Incontinence Treatment at the University of Rochester Medical Center/Strong Hospital
The University of Rochester Medical Center/Strong Hospital offers one of the nation's most advanced incontinence treatment practices. Our incontinence specialists, Dr. Robert Mayer and Dr. Robert Davis, have national reputations resting on their use of innovative diagnostic and treatment techniques. And because patient care is our first concern, we make sure no one has to wait long for an appointment with one of our urologists; someone is always available to help.
In order to provide our patients with timely and accurate diagnoses, our doctors use the most sophisticated urodynamic testing equipment available, including a video urodynamic system that takes still and motion pictures of the bladder as it fills and empties. These images, combined with traditional x-ray and EMG studies, give our doctors the precise information they need to understand what is causing symptoms, and how to treat it.
We’re also the only medical facility in the area to offer the InterStim® device for sacral nerve stimulation, a new technology that has been extremely effective in treating incontinence. The InterStim® is essentially a pacemaker for the bladder. Like a pacemaker, it’s implanted under your skin, usually near the tailbone or in the abdomen, in a minor surgical procedure. Mild electrical pulses are sent along a wire that runs from the InterStim® to the nerves that control bladder function. These pulses stimulate the nerve, helping to control urination and prevent incontinence.
Further, as members of a major teaching hospital and research institution, our urologists normally run important clinical trials that help advance our understanding of incontinence and develop and evaluate new treatment methods. Currently, Dr. Mayer is running several trials involving a new bulking agent. Bulking agents are substances injected into tissues around the urethra to reduce stress incontinence. The new agent has the advantage of being hypoallergenic (it doesn’t cause allergic reactions).
Trade-named Coaptite®, this bulking agent is a man-made
substance (calcium hydroxylapatite) identical in composition
to the mineral
portion
of teeth and bone with an extensive history of safe use in dental
and orthopedic applications. If you’re interested in joining
this study (open to women over 18), call Suzanne Moyer at (585)-275-0731
or Betty Smith at (585)-275-0989.