BACK TOTOP Browse A-ZSearchBrowse A-ZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0-9 E-mail FormEmail ResultsName:Email address:Recipients Name:Recipients address:Message: Print-FriendlyBookmarksbookmarks-menuUrinary incontinence - retropubic suspensionOpen retropubic colposuspension; Marshall-Marchetti-Krantz (MMK) procedure; Laparoscopic retropubic colposuspension; Needle suspension; Burch colposuspensionRetropubic suspension is surgery to help control stress incontinence. This is urine leakage that happens when you laugh, cough, sneeze, lift things, or exercise. The surgery helps close your urethra and bladder neck. The urethra is the tube that carries urine from the bladder to the outside. The bladder neck is the part of the bladder that connects to the urethra.Stress incontinenceStress urinary incontinence occurs when your bladder leaks urine during physical activity or exertion. It may happen when you cough, sneeze, lift so...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Description You receive either general anesthesia or spinal anesthesia before the surgery starts.General anesthesiaGeneral anesthesia is treatment with certain medicines that puts you into a deep sleep-like state so you do not feel pain during surgery. After you ...Read Article Now Book Mark Article With general anesthesia, you are asleep and feel no pain. With spinal anesthesia, you are awake but numb from the waist down and feel no pain. Spinal anesthesiaSpinal and epidural anesthesia are procedures that deliver medicines that numb parts of your body to block pain. They are given through shots in or ...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article A catheter (tube) is placed in your bladder to drain urine from your bladder.There are 2 ways to do retropubic suspension: open surgery or laparoscopic surgery. Either way, surgery may take up to 2 hours.During open surgery:A surgical cut (incision) is made on the lower part of your belly. Through this cut the bladder is located. The surgeon sews (sutures) the bladder neck, part of the wall of the vagina, and the urethra to the bones and ligaments in your pelvis. This lifts the bladder and urethra so they can close better.During laparoscopic surgery, the surgeon makes a smaller cut in your belly. A tube-like device that allows the doctor to see your organs (laparoscope) is put into your belly through this cut. The surgeon sutures the bladder neck, part of the wall of the vagina, and the urethra to the bones and ligaments in the pelvis. Why the Procedure Is Performed This procedure is done to treat stress incontinence.Before discussing surgery, your surgeon will have you try bladder retraining, Kegel exercises, medicines, or other options. If you tried these and are still having problems with urine leakage, surgery may be your best option. Risks Risks for any surgery are:Bleeding BleedingBleeding is the loss of blood. Bleeding may be:Inside the body (internal)Outside the body (external)Bleeding may occur:Inside the body when blood le...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Blood clots in the legs that may travel to the lungs Blood clotsBlood clots are clumps that occur when blood hardens from a liquid to a solid. A blood clot that forms inside one of your veins or arteries is calle...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Breathing problems Breathing problemsBreathing difficulty may involve:Difficult breathing Uncomfortable breathingFeeling like you are not getting enough airImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Infection in the surgical cut, or opening of the cut Other infection Risks for this surgery are:Abnormal passage (fistula) between the vagina and the skin FistulaA fistula is an abnormal connection between two body parts, such as an organ or blood vessel and another structure. Fistulas are usually the result ...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Damage to the urethra, bladder, or vagina Damage to the urethra, bladderTraumatic injury of the bladder and urethra involves damage caused by an outside force.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Irritable bladder, causing the need to urinate more often More difficulty emptying your bladder, or the need to use a catheter Worsening of urine leakage Before the Procedure Tell your health care provider and surgeon what medicines you are taking. These include medicines, supplements, or herbs you bought without a prescription.Tell your surgeon or nurse if:You are or could be pregnant You are taking any medicines, including medicines, supplements, or herbs you bought without a prescription You have been drinking a lot of alcohol, more than 1 or 2 drinks a dayPlanning for your surgery:If you have diabetes, heart disease, or other medical conditions, your surgeon may ask you to see the provider who treats you for these conditions. DiabetesDiabetes is a long-term (chronic) disease in which the body cannot regulate the amount of sugar in the blood.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Heart diseaseCoronary heart disease is a narrowing of the blood vessels that supply blood and oxygen to the heart. Coronary heart disease (CHD) is also called co...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article If you smoke, it's important to cut back or quit. Smoking can slow healing and increase the risk for blood clots. Ask your provider for help quitting smoking. Smoking can slow healing and increase t...Quitting smoking and other nicotine products, including e-cigarettes, before surgery can improve your recovery and outcome after surgery. Most people...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Quitting smokingThere are many ways to quit smoking. There are also resources to help you. Family members, friends, and co-workers may be supportive. But to be su...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article If needed, prepare your home to make it easier to recover after surgery. Prepare your homeGetting your home ready after you have been in the hospital often requires much preparation. Set up your home to make your life easier and safer when...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Ask your surgeon if you need to arrange to have someone drive you home after your surgery.During the week before your surgery:You may be asked to temporarily stop taking medicines that keep your blood from clotting. These medicines are called blood thinners. This includes over-the-counter medicines and supplements such as aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn), and vitamin E. Many prescription medicines are also blood thinners. Ask your surgeon which medicines you should still take on the day of surgery. Let your surgeon know about any illness you may have before your surgery. This includes COVID-19, a cold, flu, fever, herpes breakout, or other illness. If you do get sick, your surgery may need to be postponed.COVID-19Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a respiratory illness that causes fever, coughing, and shortness of breath, but many other symptoms can occur....ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article ColdThe common cold most often causes a runny nose, nasal congestion, and sneezing. You may also have a sore throat, cough, headache, or other symptoms....ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article FluThe flu (influenza) is a viral respiratory illness that causes fever, chills, runny nose, body aches, and cough. It spreads easily from person to pe...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article On the day of surgery:Follow instructions about when to stop eating and drinking. Take the medicines your surgeon told you to take with a small sip of water. Follow instructions on when to arrive at the hospital. Be sure to arrive on time. After the Procedure You will likely have a catheter in your urethra or in your abdomen above your pubic bone (suprapubic catheter). The catheter is used to drain urine from the bladder. You may go home with the catheter still in place. Or, you may need to perform intermittent catheterization. This is a procedure in which you use a catheter only when you need to urinate. You will be taught how to do this before you leave the hospital.CatheterA urinary catheter is a tube placed in the body to drain and collect urine from the bladder.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article You may have gauze packing in the vagina after surgery to help stop bleeding. It is usually removed a few hours after surgery.You may leave the hospital on the same day as surgery. Or, you may stay for 2 or 3 days after this surgery.Follow instructions about how to care for yourself after you go home. Keep all follow-up appointments.Care for yourself after you go homeGetting your home ready after you have been in the hospital often requires much preparation. Set up your home to make your life easier and safer when...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Outlook (Prognosis) Urinary leakage decreases for most women who have this surgery. But you may still have some leakage. This may be because other problems are causing your urinary incontinence. Over time, some or all of the leakage may come back.Open ReferencesReferencesHartigan SM, Chapple CR, Dmochowski RR. Retropubic suspension surgery for incontinence in women. In: Partin AW, Dmochowski RR, Kavoussi LR, Peters CA, eds. Campbell-Walsh-Wein Urology. 12th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 123.Kobashi KC, Vasavada S, Bloschichak A, et al. Updates to surgical treatment of female stress urinary incontinence (SUI): AUA/SUFU Guideline (2023). J Urol. 2023;209(6):1091-1098. PMID: 37096580 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37096580/.Lentz GM, Miller JL. Lower urinary tract function and disorders: physiology of micturition, voiding dysfunction, urinary incontinence, urinary tract infections, and painful bladder syndrome. In: Gershenson DM, Lentz GM, Valea FA, Lobo RA, eds. Comprehensive Gynecology. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 21.AllVideoImagesTogRelated Information Anterior vaginal wall repair(Surgery)Artificial urinary sphincter(Surgery)Urinary incontinence - injectable implant(Surgery)Urinary incontinence - urethral sling procedures(Surgery)Urinary incontinence - tension-free vaginal tape(Surgery)Stress urinary incontinence(Condition)Urge incontinence(Condition)Urinary incontinence(Symptoms)Urinary incontinence surgery - female - discharge (Discharge)When you have urinary incontinence(Self-Care)Kegel exercises - self-care(Self-Care)Urine drainage bags(Self-Care)Self catheterization - female(Self-Care)Suprapubic catheter care(Self-Care)Urinary incontinence products - self-care(Self-Care)Urinary incontinence - what to ask your doctor(Doctor Questions)Urinary catheters - what to ask your doctor(Doctor Questions)Urinary incontinence - InDepth(In-Depth) Review Date: 1/1/2025 Reviewed By: Kelly L. Stratton, MD, FACS, Associate Professor, Department of Urology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. No warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, is made as to the accuracy, reliability, timeliness, or correctness of any translations made by a third-party service of the information provided herein into any other language. © 1997- A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. © 1997- All rights reserved. A.D.A.M. content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Firefox and Google Chrome browser.Content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Firefox and Google Chrome browser.
Urinary incontinence - retropubic suspensionOpen retropubic colposuspension; Marshall-Marchetti-Krantz (MMK) procedure; Laparoscopic retropubic colposuspension; Needle suspension; Burch colposuspensionRetropubic suspension is surgery to help control stress incontinence. This is urine leakage that happens when you laugh, cough, sneeze, lift things, or exercise. The surgery helps close your urethra and bladder neck. The urethra is the tube that carries urine from the bladder to the outside. The bladder neck is the part of the bladder that connects to the urethra.Stress incontinenceStress urinary incontinence occurs when your bladder leaks urine during physical activity or exertion. It may happen when you cough, sneeze, lift so...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Description You receive either general anesthesia or spinal anesthesia before the surgery starts.General anesthesiaGeneral anesthesia is treatment with certain medicines that puts you into a deep sleep-like state so you do not feel pain during surgery. After you ...Read Article Now Book Mark Article With general anesthesia, you are asleep and feel no pain. With spinal anesthesia, you are awake but numb from the waist down and feel no pain. Spinal anesthesiaSpinal and epidural anesthesia are procedures that deliver medicines that numb parts of your body to block pain. They are given through shots in or ...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article A catheter (tube) is placed in your bladder to drain urine from your bladder.There are 2 ways to do retropubic suspension: open surgery or laparoscopic surgery. Either way, surgery may take up to 2 hours.During open surgery:A surgical cut (incision) is made on the lower part of your belly. Through this cut the bladder is located. The surgeon sews (sutures) the bladder neck, part of the wall of the vagina, and the urethra to the bones and ligaments in your pelvis. This lifts the bladder and urethra so they can close better.During laparoscopic surgery, the surgeon makes a smaller cut in your belly. A tube-like device that allows the doctor to see your organs (laparoscope) is put into your belly through this cut. The surgeon sutures the bladder neck, part of the wall of the vagina, and the urethra to the bones and ligaments in the pelvis. Why the Procedure Is Performed This procedure is done to treat stress incontinence.Before discussing surgery, your surgeon will have you try bladder retraining, Kegel exercises, medicines, or other options. If you tried these and are still having problems with urine leakage, surgery may be your best option. Risks Risks for any surgery are:Bleeding BleedingBleeding is the loss of blood. Bleeding may be:Inside the body (internal)Outside the body (external)Bleeding may occur:Inside the body when blood le...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Blood clots in the legs that may travel to the lungs Blood clotsBlood clots are clumps that occur when blood hardens from a liquid to a solid. A blood clot that forms inside one of your veins or arteries is calle...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Breathing problems Breathing problemsBreathing difficulty may involve:Difficult breathing Uncomfortable breathingFeeling like you are not getting enough airImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Infection in the surgical cut, or opening of the cut Other infection Risks for this surgery are:Abnormal passage (fistula) between the vagina and the skin FistulaA fistula is an abnormal connection between two body parts, such as an organ or blood vessel and another structure. Fistulas are usually the result ...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Damage to the urethra, bladder, or vagina Damage to the urethra, bladderTraumatic injury of the bladder and urethra involves damage caused by an outside force.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Irritable bladder, causing the need to urinate more often More difficulty emptying your bladder, or the need to use a catheter Worsening of urine leakage Before the Procedure Tell your health care provider and surgeon what medicines you are taking. These include medicines, supplements, or herbs you bought without a prescription.Tell your surgeon or nurse if:You are or could be pregnant You are taking any medicines, including medicines, supplements, or herbs you bought without a prescription You have been drinking a lot of alcohol, more than 1 or 2 drinks a dayPlanning for your surgery:If you have diabetes, heart disease, or other medical conditions, your surgeon may ask you to see the provider who treats you for these conditions. DiabetesDiabetes is a long-term (chronic) disease in which the body cannot regulate the amount of sugar in the blood.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Heart diseaseCoronary heart disease is a narrowing of the blood vessels that supply blood and oxygen to the heart. Coronary heart disease (CHD) is also called co...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article If you smoke, it's important to cut back or quit. Smoking can slow healing and increase the risk for blood clots. Ask your provider for help quitting smoking. Smoking can slow healing and increase t...Quitting smoking and other nicotine products, including e-cigarettes, before surgery can improve your recovery and outcome after surgery. Most people...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Quitting smokingThere are many ways to quit smoking. There are also resources to help you. Family members, friends, and co-workers may be supportive. But to be su...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article If needed, prepare your home to make it easier to recover after surgery. Prepare your homeGetting your home ready after you have been in the hospital often requires much preparation. Set up your home to make your life easier and safer when...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Ask your surgeon if you need to arrange to have someone drive you home after your surgery.During the week before your surgery:You may be asked to temporarily stop taking medicines that keep your blood from clotting. These medicines are called blood thinners. This includes over-the-counter medicines and supplements such as aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn), and vitamin E. Many prescription medicines are also blood thinners. Ask your surgeon which medicines you should still take on the day of surgery. Let your surgeon know about any illness you may have before your surgery. This includes COVID-19, a cold, flu, fever, herpes breakout, or other illness. If you do get sick, your surgery may need to be postponed.COVID-19Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a respiratory illness that causes fever, coughing, and shortness of breath, but many other symptoms can occur....ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article ColdThe common cold most often causes a runny nose, nasal congestion, and sneezing. You may also have a sore throat, cough, headache, or other symptoms....ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article FluThe flu (influenza) is a viral respiratory illness that causes fever, chills, runny nose, body aches, and cough. It spreads easily from person to pe...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article On the day of surgery:Follow instructions about when to stop eating and drinking. Take the medicines your surgeon told you to take with a small sip of water. Follow instructions on when to arrive at the hospital. Be sure to arrive on time. After the Procedure You will likely have a catheter in your urethra or in your abdomen above your pubic bone (suprapubic catheter). The catheter is used to drain urine from the bladder. You may go home with the catheter still in place. Or, you may need to perform intermittent catheterization. This is a procedure in which you use a catheter only when you need to urinate. You will be taught how to do this before you leave the hospital.CatheterA urinary catheter is a tube placed in the body to drain and collect urine from the bladder.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article You may have gauze packing in the vagina after surgery to help stop bleeding. It is usually removed a few hours after surgery.You may leave the hospital on the same day as surgery. Or, you may stay for 2 or 3 days after this surgery.Follow instructions about how to care for yourself after you go home. Keep all follow-up appointments.Care for yourself after you go homeGetting your home ready after you have been in the hospital often requires much preparation. Set up your home to make your life easier and safer when...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Outlook (Prognosis) Urinary leakage decreases for most women who have this surgery. But you may still have some leakage. This may be because other problems are causing your urinary incontinence. Over time, some or all of the leakage may come back.Open ReferencesReferencesHartigan SM, Chapple CR, Dmochowski RR. Retropubic suspension surgery for incontinence in women. In: Partin AW, Dmochowski RR, Kavoussi LR, Peters CA, eds. Campbell-Walsh-Wein Urology. 12th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 123.Kobashi KC, Vasavada S, Bloschichak A, et al. Updates to surgical treatment of female stress urinary incontinence (SUI): AUA/SUFU Guideline (2023). J Urol. 2023;209(6):1091-1098. PMID: 37096580 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37096580/.Lentz GM, Miller JL. Lower urinary tract function and disorders: physiology of micturition, voiding dysfunction, urinary incontinence, urinary tract infections, and painful bladder syndrome. In: Gershenson DM, Lentz GM, Valea FA, Lobo RA, eds. Comprehensive Gynecology. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 21.
