Jean Lauer is one of millions of adults in the U.S. affected by urinary incontinence, or loss of bladder control. For those who experience it, it can be an embarrassing problem that has profound impact on their everyday lives.

“I was using the restroom as many as 40 times each day,” said Jean. “It made leaving the house very difficult.”

When medications weren’t successful in treating Jean’s urinary incontinence, she turned to help from Prevea Urology at the Prevea Sheboygan Health Center. “I couldn’t have asked for a better group of people to care for me,” said Jean.

Painless, minimally-invasive procedure

Mary Roethel, a Family Nurse Practitioner who specializes in urinary incontinence at the Prevea Sheboygan Health Center introduced Jean to a state-of-the-art treatment called, Uroplasty - a minimally-invasive, painless procedure that can be done right at the doctor’s office. The procedure involves the insertion of a tiny needle electrode near the ankle. The needle electrode is connected to a battery-powered stimulator which sends mild impulses up the leg and to the nerves in the pelvis that control bladder function. The procedure lasts approximately 30 minutes as the patient relaxes comfortably in a reclining chair.

“It’s a pretty easy thing to go through”, said Jean. “The needle takes some getting used to, but it isn’t painful.”

The Uroplasty procedure is performed on a patient once a week for 12 weeks. Over time, the procedure helps to relax and prevent the bladder from over-contracting, which reduces the patient’s urge to go to and visit the bathroom. Most begin to see improvement in their symptoms between weeks 2 and 12 of the procedure.

No more running to the bathroom

After years of struggling with urinary incontinence, Jean, a 76-year-old mother of six has experienced near-100% improvement with Uroplasty treatments. “I don’t have to run to the bathroom and say ‘oh I just made it’ anymore,” said Jean.

She also recalls a recent day trip she took with her family. She says, “We left at 8 in the morning and stopped for lunch at noon. Even though we didn’t get home until later in the evening, we didn’t have to make a special bathroom stop once. I’m so grateful to Mary for recommending I try Uroplasty.”

Thanks to the experts and state-of-the-art treatments at Prevea Urology, Jean will continue to make more trips with her family and fewer trips to the bathroom.