Stress Incontinence – Autologous Cells Offer New Cure Hope
Stress Incontinence Autologous Cells Offer New Cure Hope
Continence issues in younger people often take the form of stress incontinence. This is particularly true for women who have gone through one or more pregnancies. Pregnancy and childbirth can create a number of problems with the pelvic floor muscles which is the muscle group responsible for supporting and protecting the bladder.
When these muscles become stretched, damaged or torn as sometimes happen in childbirth, the bladder becomes susceptible to outside pressures that can cause an involuntary flow of urine. Something as simple as a sneeze or a hearty laugh can contract the abdominal muscles sufficiently to put pressure on the bladder and cause leakage.
Typically the therapy to correct this condition is exercise. Kegel exercises are isometric routines that are designed to restore the tone in the sphincter and pelvic floor muscles. It's a simple routine and requires no special equipment or space. However, there is a new cell therapy that is offering great promise in repairing these muscles.
The American Urological Association reported that the use of autologous muscle cells harvested from the patient's own body can be injected into the bladder and effect repairs to the surrounding muscle tissue. Because these cells are taken from the patient's own body there is zero chance of rejection.
Normally harvested from the patient's thigh muscle, the cells are injected directly into the sphincter and other muscles. This is an outpatient procedure and the patient can resume normal activity immediately. It appears that the only side effect is a slight swelling and soreness at the point of injection.
It's too soon to tell yet if this treatment for stress incontinence will have a long lasting effect but early results are promising. The procedure is not yet approved but there are many trials in progress. If you suffer from this condition check with your doctor to see what the availability of a trial therapy is in your area.
