Maggie* says she couldn’t stop it.

“I had a terrible, terrible urine flow,” confides the former runner-up to Miss England, “and to make matters worse, I hated it. I was embarrassed.”

The well-traveled former fashion model remembers that the urine leakage began in 2005: “It started to dribble; I would get wet panties. So in 2006, I sought the help of a gentleman gynecologist. He gave me medication for it, but it didn’t seem to be effective. I would be out in my garden working and my urine would just pour out.

“Thank goodness I worked out there by myself.”

Maggie admits that her condition continued to worsen: “Because of MS, my husband, Ed, is in a wheelchair, and as his caregiver, I’m sometimes so tired I just don’t take care of myself the way I should.

“I thought it would just clear up, but by 2009, my situation was very, very bad. I was nervous about even going shopping to get my groceries.

“Then one day while I was with my husband at his cardiologist, I excused myself to use the restroom. While I was in there, Ed explained to his physician that I had a terrible urinary problem. When I rejoined them, the doctor said he knew a urogynecologist, a woman, with whom I’d be very comfortable. He assured me that Dr. Sprock was excellent in her field.”

Marja Sprock, MD, FACOG, is a board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist with fellowship training in urogynecology. Her practice is in Rockledge, in the Melbourne area.

“I phoned that week and went in to see her,” recalls Maggie. “Because of my early history, and in spite of having two children, I feel very uncomfortable about any physical female issues, but Dr. Sprock and her staff made me feel so comfortable. I admitted to her that I hated to even put my legs up in the stirrups, but she just has such a nice way about her, both her and her medical assistant Kathy [Hahn-Sargent]. There was always the two of them, making me feel so much at ease.”

Maggie says that the doctor put her through a series of tests in order to make a precise diagnosis.

Stress incontinence

Maggie was suffering with urinary incontinence, which is the accidental leakage of urine. According to the National Institutes of Health News , it affects more than 13 million women in the United States. While it is most common in people over 50 years old, especially women, it is not an inevitable part of aging.

“There are two major types of incontinence,” educates Dr. Sprock. “They are stress incontinence and urge incontinence. Patients with stress incontinence leak urine involuntarily when the pressure in the bladder overcomes the pressure of the sphincter and fails to keep the urine inside the bladder. This usually occurs when people cough, sneeze, lift a heavy object, or are participating in strenuous physical activity. It is the most common type among women, and in many cases develops as a result of pregnancy and childbirth.

“Urge incontinence, also known as overactive bladder , describes problems caused by an oversensitive bladder. Patients experiencing urge incontinence feel a frequent, sudden urge to urinate and have little control over it.”

About two-thirds of patients actually experience mixed incontinence, which means they experience both urge and stress incontinence.

A third type of incontinence, known as overflow incontinence, is marked by an inability to completely empty the bladder, which can require frequent urination or results in a constant leaking of urine, or both.

“Using urodynamic testing, we focus on the bladder’s ability to empty steadily and completely,” describes Dr. Sprock. “Maggie’s testing revealed that she was experiencing stress incontinence.

“There is typically more than one option for our patients,” notes Dr. Sprock, “and at our practice, the patient is boss. What I do is educate our patients so that they can make the choice that best suits their lifestyle.”

Some patients experience leakage only with significant pressure, says the doctor: “When leakage isn’t a daily occurrence or a major nuisance, much can often be achieved with pelvic floor muscle training, which we often use in our clinic. However, for some patients whose problem demands a more aggressive treatment, we offer what is called a bladder sling .”

That was the choice for Maggie.

Bladder sling

“For Maggie’s stress incontinence, we placed a bladder sling,” observes Dr. Sprock, “which is a construct that is placed beneath the urethra to support and compress urethral activity. Its function is sometimes compared to stepping on a running hose to stop its stream.

“The sling we used for Maggie is inserted through the vagina and requires only one small incision in the vagina. There’s very little, short-term discomfort following surgery, and except for sexual activity, patients can resume regular activity almost immediately.

“The sling is very sturdy. The patient’s own tissue grows into the sling, and once it is completely healed, it is actually very difficult even for the physician to feel the support in the vagina. It’s just there, working well, and typically sexual activity can resume after about six weeks.”

Maggie says that she is so pleased with her results that she wrote a thank you note to the cardiologist who recommended Dr. Sprock: “I just can’t speak highly enough of her personality and professionalism. I can’t find the right words. She is so understanding and kind.

“And she really knows her business. I have no more wet underwear. I can go shopping without worry. I have no more ruined slacks. It’s heaven.

“Dr. Sprock is more than one in a million; she’s one in a billion.”

FHCN – Kris Kline