Urinary incontinence treatment in Salt Lake City
Leaking urine is common, and it is treatable at any age. Elisabeth Ferlic, MD, is a board-certified urologist and fellowship-trained in voiding dysfunction and female pelvic medicine. She treats stress, urge, and mixed incontinence in women and men across the Salt Lake Valley. That includes leaking after prostate surgery. Care starts with finding out which type you have, because the type decides the treatment.
Talk with the practice: call 435-344-4760 or request an appointment.
Contact the practice to ask which visit types are available and when in-person appointments and procedures can be scheduled.
Elisabeth Ferlic, MD
Board-certified urologist · Fellowship-trained in voiding dysfunction and female pelvic medicine
In this guide
- Symptoms of urinary incontinence
- What is urinary incontinence?
- Why see Dr. Ferlic for urinary incontinence
- What are my options?
- Urinary incontinence treatment options
- Types of urinary incontinence
- Causes and risk factors
- How urinary incontinence is diagnosed
- What to expect from treatment
- What you can do on your own
- Benefits and risks, side by side
- What happens at the first visit?
- Frequently asked questions about urinary incontinence
Symptoms of urinary incontinence
Leaking with effort or urge
- Leaking when you cough, sneeze, laugh, bend, lift, or exercise
- A sudden urge to urinate and not making it to the bathroom in time
Other leaking patterns
- Leaking with no warning at all
- Leaking during sex or during sleep
- Constant dribbling, or a feeling that your bladder never empties
See a doctor when leaking changes how you live: you map out bathrooms before leaving the house, wear pads every day, skip exercise or travel, or rush to the toilet in a way that risks a fall. Leaking that starts or worsens after a surgery also deserves an evaluation.
When to seek care right away
See a doctor the same day if you have blood in your urine, or pain or burning when you urinate. If you cannot pass urine at all, seek emergency care.
What is urinary incontinence?
Urinary incontinence is the medical term for leaking urine when you don't mean to. For one person, that's a few drops with a cough. For another, it's a sudden urge that doesn't leave enough time to reach the bathroom.
It's one of the most common problems in urology. Studies suggest that more than half of adult women and about one in seven adult men have some degree of leaking. Common is not the same as normal, though. Leaking isn't an automatic result of aging, having children, or prostate surgery.
Possible causes include the muscles that hold the urethra closed, the bladder muscle, the nerves that control both, or a blockage. Urinary incontinence treatment works best when it is aimed at that cause.
Why see Dr. Ferlic for urinary incontinence
Bladder control is the center of Dr. Ferlic's training. She is a board-certified urologist and fellowship-trained in voiding dysfunction and female pelvic medicine, a fellowship that included female pelvic reconstruction and neuro-urology. She treats incontinence in both sexes, including the leaking after prostate surgery that many offices decline.
Her training supports diagnosis and discussion of conservative care and procedures when appropriate. Visits aren't rushed, and she explains every option in plain language. Learn more about women's pelvic health, men's urology, or Dr. Ferlic.
What are my options?
A starting point for the conversation, not a prescription. Your evaluation decides what fits.
Leaking with a cough, sneeze, or lift
Stress incontinence, often after childbirth, menopause, or prostate surgery
Pelvic floor therapy
Kegels strengthen the muscles that hold the urethra closed
A sudden urge, and leaking on the way
Urge incontinence, part of overactive bladder
Bladder training and lifestyle changes
Delay urinating a few minutes at a time, and cut back on caffeine and alcohol
Stress leaking that needs more help
For women and for men who leak after prostate surgery
Urethral bulking or a sling
A gel helps the urethra close, or a sling supports it
Urge leaking medication hasn't controlled
After conservative steps and medication
Bladder Botox or nerve stimulation
Relaxes the bladder muscle, or steadies bladder and brain signals
Urinary incontinence treatment options
Treatment depends on the type, how much it bothers you, and what you want to get back to. The least invasive option that works comes first, and surgery is only ever your choice.
| Pelvic floor therapy | Urethral bulking (Bulkamid) | Sling surgery | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How it works | Exercises (Kegels) strengthen the muscles that hold the urethra closed | A soft gel injected into the wall of the urethra helps it close more firmly | A narrow strip of material under the urethra supports it when you cough or move |
| Used for | Stress incontinence especially; it also helps urge incontinence | Stress incontinence | Stress incontinence, in women and in men after prostate surgery |
| Setting | Regular practice; a pelvic floor physical therapist can use biofeedback | An office procedure with minimal downtime | For women, a short outpatient surgery |
Pelvic floor therapy
- How it works
- Exercises (Kegels) strengthen the muscles that hold the urethra closed
- Used for
- Stress incontinence especially; it also helps urge incontinence
- Setting
- Regular practice; a pelvic floor physical therapist can use biofeedback
Urethral bulking (Bulkamid)
- How it works
- A soft gel injected into the wall of the urethra helps it close more firmly
- Used for
- Stress incontinence
- Setting
- An office procedure with minimal downtime
Sling surgery
- How it works
- A narrow strip of material under the urethra supports it when you cough or move
- Used for
- Stress incontinence, in women and in men after prostate surgery
- Setting
- For women, a short outpatient surgery
Lifestyle changes and bladder training
Cutting back on caffeine and alcohol, timing your fluids, treating constipation, and losing extra weight all reduce leaking. For urge incontinence, bladder training teaches you to delay urinating a few minutes at a time until you can go two and a half to three and a half hours between trips.
Pelvic floor therapy
Pelvic floor muscle exercises (Kegels) strengthen the muscles that hold the urethra closed. They work especially well for stress incontinence and also help urge incontinence. A pelvic floor physical therapist can use biofeedback to help you find the right muscles. Ask how a referral fits your care plan. Men benefit too, including after prostate surgery.
Pessaries and vaginal inserts
For women with stress incontinence, a pessary is a small removable device worn in the vagina. It presses gently against the urethra to reduce leaks, and it involves no surgery.
Medication
Medication is mainly an option for urge incontinence. It calms the bladder muscle, and each drug has side effects to weigh. For women after menopause, low-dose vaginal estrogen can improve the tissue around the urethra. If a prescription isn't helping, discuss a change with the prescribing clinician before stopping it.
Urethral bulking (Bulkamid)
For stress incontinence, a soft gel is injected into the wall of the urethra to help it close more firmly. It's an office procedure with minimal downtime.
Sling surgery and other procedures for stress incontinence
A sling is a narrow strip of material placed under the urethra to support it when you cough or move. For women, it's a short outpatient surgery. Men who leak after prostate surgery have two main options: a male sling, or an artificial urinary sphincter, an implanted cuff that keeps the urethra closed until you release it. The slings and urethral bulking page explains both procedures.
Bladder Botox and nerve stimulation for urge incontinence
When conservative steps and medication haven't controlled urge leaking, procedural options include the following. Bladder Botox relaxes the bladder muscle for about six months at a time. Nerve stimulation steadies the signals between the bladder and the brain, with a small implant (Axonics or InterStim) or weekly office sessions at the ankle (PTNS).
Not sure which type you have? Call 435-344-4760 or send a message. Reach out and ask about the next step.
Causes and risk factors
In women. Pregnancy and vaginal delivery stretch, and sometimes injure, the pelvic floor and the support around the urethra. The risk is higher with a large baby, a long pushing stage, forceps, or several births. After menopause, lower estrogen thins the tissue of the urethra and bladder. Pelvic organ prolapse and leaking often occur together.
In men. Surgery or radiation for prostate cancer can weaken the sphincter muscle or the nerves around it. Procedures for an enlarged prostate can also cause leaking, usually for a short time.
In anyone. Age, extra body weight, a chronic cough, smoking, constipation, and diabetes all raise the risk. So do stroke, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, and spinal cord injury. Caffeine, alcohol, carbonated drinks, and certain medicines make existing leaking worse.
Some causes are temporary. Leaking from a urinary tract infection, constipation, or a change in medication often clears up after the cause is treated.
How urinary incontinence is diagnosed
Diagnosis starts with a conversation. Dr. Ferlic asks when you leak, how much, what sets it off, which medicines you take, and what you have already tried. Your answers often identify the type before any testing begins.
A first evaluation usually includes:
- A physical exam: a pelvic exam for women, and sometimes a prostate exam for men
- A cough test to see whether urine escapes under pressure
- A urine test to rule out infection or blood
- A bladder scan, a brief ultrasound that shows how much urine is left after you go
- A bladder diary of what you drink, when you urinate, and when you leak over a few days
Most people need nothing more.
What to expect from treatment
Expect to leave your first visit knowing which type of incontinence you have and what the plan is. Dr. Ferlic explains each option in plain language and tells you which one she recommends and why.
Conservative treatment takes patience. Pelvic floor therapy and bladder training build results over weeks to months, and only with regular practice. At follow-up, if the improvement isn't enough for you, the plan moves up a step. If you're satisfied, it stops there. Leaking tied to a long-term condition such as diabetes or multiple sclerosis can need ongoing management.
Ask whether a virtual visit, second opinion, or records review fits your concern. An exam or testing might be needed before a treatment plan is settled. Confirm the availability and location of any examination, test, or procedure before scheduling.
What you can do on your own
Not every cause of incontinence can be prevented, but these habits lower your risk and help any treatment work better:
- Learn the right pelvic floor exercises. A clinician or pelvic floor therapist can check whether you need strengthening, relaxation, or both, and set a plan. Don't practice by repeatedly stopping urine midstream.
- Keep a healthy weight. Less weight on the abdomen means less pressure on the bladder.
- Prevent constipation with fiber, fluids, and activity.
- Limit caffeine, alcohol, and carbonated drinks.
- Drink the right amount at the right times, and less in the evening if nights are the problem.
- Quit smoking.
- Empty your bladder before exercise.
Pads and protective underwear help you stay active in the meantime. They manage leaks; they don't treat the cause.
Benefits and risks, side by side
Every treatment has trade-offs. Your history and your goals decide which ones matter most.
What treatment can address
- Stress, urge, and mixed leaking
- Leaking after prostate surgery
- Tissue changes around the urethra after menopause
- Leaking that limits exercise, travel, or daily plans
What to weigh first
- Which type of incontinence you have
- How much leaking bothers you, and what you want to get back to
- Therapy and bladder training take weeks to months of regular practice
- Each medication has side effects to weigh
- Surgery is only ever your choice
What happens at the first visit?
The visit starts with what has changed and what you want help with. Any treatment and follow-up plan is specific to you.
Talk through your symptoms
Bring your concerns, medication list, and relevant medical history.
Decide what needs checking
Testing depends on your symptoms and history, and some concerns need a separate workup.
Discuss a plan and follow-up
Review benefits, risks, alternatives, and what to watch for.
Before you schedule
Ask which appointments are available and whether your concern suits a video visit or needs an in-person evaluation.
Here’s what our great patients say
Is urinary incontinence a normal part of aging?
No. Leaking becomes more common with age, but it is a medical condition with identifiable causes, not an inevitable part of getting older. Women and men of any age can have it, and treatment is available at every age. If leaking affects your daily life, it is worth an evaluation.
Can urinary incontinence go away on its own?
Sometimes. Leaking caused by a urinary tract infection, constipation, a medication, or a recent pregnancy often clears up after the cause resolves. Leaking that has lasted for months rarely disappears without treatment, and it can slowly get worse. The earlier it is evaluated, the more conservative options you have.
What kind of doctor treats urinary incontinence?
Several kinds of providers treat parts of the problem, including primary care doctors, gynecologists, and pelvic floor physical therapists. A urologist with fellowship training in voiding dysfunction can diagnose the cause, order bladder testing, and offer every level of treatment, from therapy to surgery. Dr. Ferlic treats both women and men.
How long does leaking last after prostate surgery?
It varies. For some men, leaking is short-term and improves as the body heals, and pelvic floor therapy helps that recovery. For others it lasts. If leaking continues to affect your life after you have healed from surgery, ask for an evaluation, because effective options exist, including therapy, a male sling, and an artificial urinary sphincter.
Will I need surgery for urinary incontinence?
Most people don't start with surgery, and many never need it. Treatment begins with lifestyle changes, bladder training, and pelvic floor therapy, then moves to devices, medication, or office procedures if those aren't enough. Surgery is an option when other steps haven't met your goals, and the decision is always yours.
When can I make an appointment?
Contact the practice to ask which visit types are available and when in-person appointments and procedures can be scheduled.
Talk with a urologist about urinary incontinence treatment
Leaking that limits exercise, sleep, or daily plans deserves an evaluation. Call 435-344-4760 or request an appointment to ask about care and visit availability.
This page is for general education and is not medical advice.