What is Urinary Incontinence?
Urinary incontinence is a loss of bladder control. It is estimated that 1 in 5 senior adults in Canada is affected by urinary incontinence. Men’s urinary incontinence is not a disease, but rather a symptom of a problem with a man’s urinary tract.
Stress Incontinence
Stress incontinence, or, SUI is a common type of male urinary incontinence. This type of incontinence is often caused when the prostate is removed (prostatectomy) most often the result of Prostate Cancer. With SUI, leaks most often happen when you cough, lift or strain. These actions cause increased pressure on the bladder which results in involuntary leakage.
Contino® is most often helpful for those with SUI (stress urinary incontinence) as a result of prostatectomy.
Urge Incontinence
Urge incontinence is the result of overactive bladder muscles that squeeze so hard the sphincter can’t hold back. With urge incontinence, the urge is so strong, sometimes you just can’t reach the toilet quickly enough. This often results in large leaks and accounts for the majority of incontinence problems in seniors.
Overflow Incontinence
Overflow incontinence is caused by a blockage in the urethra (such as enlarged prostate) and this leads to urine building up over time. With overflow incontinence, a person can often only release a little urine at a time. With this type of incontinence, it is common that the person experiencing incontinence will have no sensation that the bladder is full.
One example of Overflow incontinence is Benign Prostatic Enlargement also known as BPE or BPH (Benign Prostate Hyperplasia) This is common in men over the age of 40. As the prostate enlarges, it can block the flow of urine through the urethra. This results in frequent urination, a slow stream of urine and sometimes urge or overflow incontinence.
Contino® can be used as a solution for overflow incontinence as a result of BPE/BPH. It reduces or eliminates the need for pads, surgical intervention, and collection devices. It is also not associated with skin irritation.
Functional Incontinence
Functional incontinence occurs when there is a non-medical reason for the incontinence. Instead it occurs when a person frequently cannot reach the toilet because of other factors in their life. The most common reason for this is the person has difficulty moving from one place to another. This could be because of poor vision, hearing or speech, preventing an individual from getting to the toilet themselves or informing a caregiver of their need.
How the Contino® Urethral Insert Can Help
Contino® offers promising results in addressing persistent urinary stress incontinence using a urethral insert. The Contino® insert essentially plugs the urethra and is easily removed when it is time to evacuate the bladder.
In 2018, Life 360 Innovations Inc. completed its 5 year multi-site Candian clinical study of Contino. The study demonstrated product safety and significant results.
Through this study, Contino® was shown as a viable solution for patients with stress urinary incontinence, particularly those with co-morbidities that preclude them from surgery or for those who are unwilling to undergo invasive therapies. Previously, non-surgical remedies included compression devices, collection devices, and pads. These solutions come with a variety of drawbacks, including skin irritation, discomfort, leaks, and inconvenience. With the Contino® urethral plug, test subjects saw a reduction in mean pad weight when using Contino® compared to only pads. The device resulted in a reduction in urine loss and improved patient perception with urinary incontinence.
Contino® is currently available through physiotherapists specializing in men’s pelvic health in Toronto and BC. To see a list of clinics offering Contino® assessments and fittings, visit our Contino® Authorised Clinics page.