Who is bladder neck surgery for?

Bladder neck obstruction

Bladder neck surgeries are a commonly performed procedure for men who have a weak and slow urinary stream and problems passing their urine.

There can be multiple reasons for the cause of these symptoms, but first, let’s talk about what and where the bladder neck is.

The bladder neck is located at the base of the bladder. It is a group of muscles connecting the bladder and the urethra, the tube that carries urine out of the body. These muscles can contract or relax, controlling the flow of urine from the bladder through the urethra. When the bladder neck becomes obstructed, it prevents urine from flowing properly. If this goes on for too long, the bladder and pelvic floor can become weakened.

There are multiple things that can cause bladder neck obstruction.

The most common reason most men undergo this surgical procedure is due to an enlarged prostate. The prostate surrounds the urethra right at the base of the bladder, and if it gets too big, it can constrict the urethra and prevent proper bladder emptying. There could also be a build-up of scar tissue from a prior surgery, such as a prostatectomy, or from prior radiation treatments to the pelvic area.

If someone has a bladder neck obstruction, they may experience the following symptoms: increased urinary urgency and frequency, the inability to control the urge to urinate, incomplete bladder emptying, and irregular urine output.

Leaking urine after surgery

You may notice after your surgery that you are leaking urine, but you never had a problem with this before! Why is this, you ask? Well, when surgical instruments are inserted to help open up the bladder neck and allow for urine passage, sometimes those muscles are so undertrained, they don’t know what to do when normal amounts of urine are allowed to pass. Surgery also poses risk for damage to the pelvic structures, which may cause weakness and injury to the muscles. Although this does not always happen, it is something to be aware of. So, now what do you do?

Start pelvic floor physical therapy

If your doctor didn’t already refer you, get started with physical therapy! Pelvic floor physical therapists can get your pelvic floor muscles strong and functional once again.

Here at Apex Physical Therapy, our pelvic floor physical therapists take extensive patient history prior to and after surgery, provide examination techniques such as surface electromyography (AKA biofeedback), perform manual techniques to the abdomen, pelvic floor, low back, and hips, and provide evidence-based exercise that can help get your pelvic floor back in tip-top shape after surgery.

They can help fix whatever you might be experiencing, such as pelvic pain, urinary leakage, and urinary urgency and frequency.

Don’t hesitate to start rehabilitating your pelvic floor after surgery and see a pelvic physical therapist at Apex Physical Therapy and Wellness Center!