Modern bladder control surgery offers new hope to southeast Iowa residents
June 3, 2024
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OTTUMWA, Iowa — A modern-style operation is now offered in southeast Iowa with the goal of helping those who can't control their bladder.
Doctors at Ottumwa Regional Health Center now have the technology to perform a highly effective bladder treatment.
Patients are already saying that this operation is life-changing.
"This is miraculous," said Cynthia Bennett, a bladder surgery patient. "I can go someplace now, I can wear clothes now, I'm not in diapers anymore."
The surgery Bennett calls miraculous is a bladder operation to help those with urge incontinence and overactive bladders.
The procedure has previously been available in big cities, but as of January of this year, it's offered in Ottumwa.
"It's life-changing," said Dr. Mahmoud Alameddine, M.D., a urologist at Ottumwa Regional Health Center. "I have patients [who have] lived almost all of their life at home because they fear to go out if there is no bathroom available."
The operation lasts between 30 and 45 minutes.
Urologists implant a small device into the patient's lower back, and then that device reformats the way a person recognizes when they have to go to the bathroom.
"It sends a gentle nerve stimulation to regulate the pathway between the bladder and the brain to control the bladder function," Alameddine added.
The device can last up to 15 years, and Dr. Alameddine says studies show an 84% success rate.
In addition to the health benefits, this surgery also provides patients with some psychological relief.
"I can go places, I can do things," Bennett added. "I mean, I'm stuck in a chair, but my mind is fine, and I love doing things, going places, and meeting people."
Bennett tells me that once she has recovered from surgery, she plans to visit garage sales and have fun.
Read the full story on KTVO: https://ktvo.com/news/local/modern-bladder-control-surgery-offers-new-hope-to-southeast-iowa-residents#