Some women may suffer from a condition called urinary incontinence which is also known as loss of bladder and refers to the inability of holding the urine. Women who are diagnosed with this condition tend to accidentally lose urine when, for example, sneezing, coughing, or lifting heavy objects. The condition is more common in women above 50, and if the symptoms are mild, losing weight or doing some unique exercise can help with the rehabilitation.

Furthermore, at the beginning of developing urinary incontinence, the doctor may suggest conservative treatments, including medication, lifestyle changes, or any non-invasive procedure that does not require an operation. While women get old, the chances of developing one of the following types of urinary incontinence become much higher:

• Stress incontinence: A leakage in the urine during pressure on the bladder, or exercising.
• Urge incontinence: Having an intense urge to urinate, which is followed by the loss of urine involuntarily. 
• Overflow incontinence: When the balder is not emptied completely, the patients will have a dripping of the urine. 
• Functional incontinence: Due to physical or mental conditions, the patients cannot get to the toilet on time.  

In severe cases, even after prescribing medications, symptoms may persist; therefore, the doctor will advise sling surgery; a more invasive procedure but with an effective and long-term solution. Based on the types of urinary incontinence that women may have, various options for surgery would be available. It is highly recommended that patients consult with their doctors before undergoing sling surgery for the treatment of Urinary incontinence and to consider the below comments:

• Accurate diagnosis: For different types of incontinence, surgical options vary. Therefore, it is up to the urologist to choose the right type of treatment. 
• Having children should be reconsidered: Women who are expected to give birth are more susceptible to undo the surgical fix. 
• Each surgery is intended to fix one urinary incontinence: Patients may have mixed urinary incontinence, for example, stress incontinence and overactive bladder and surgery can cure one of the problems. 

Some uncommon complications which may occur after urinary incontinence surgery include the following:

• A feeling that the balder has not been emptied entirely or having temporary difficulty urinating
• Patients may develop overactive balder that may lead to having an urge to urinate.
• UTI (Urinary tract infection)
• Patients may feel mild discomfort during intercourse.

For the treatment of urinary incontinence, doctors will use various methods which will be briefly explained:

Mid-urethral sling surgery: For women who are suffering from urinary incontinence, this is the most common type of surgery. In this procedure, making the sling is made by the use of a thin strip mesh, which would be placed under the urethra through three ways: 

• Retropubic method (also called the tension-free vaginal tape, or TVT, method):  The method was first introduced in 1996. The surgeon will make a small incision in the vagina and will insert the sling with the help of a special needle. The needle is used to place the sling under the urethra.
• Transobturator method: The doctor will make the same small incision in the vagina and also create a small opening on both sides of the labia (the folds of the skin in the vagina) to pass the needle. Afterward, through a different pathway, the sling will be placed under the urethra.
• Single-incision mini method: The method will make only one incision to place the sling under the urethra. 

Worldwide, the sling surgery is performed for the treatment of urinary incontinence which affects about 20 to 30% of women of various ages. Although some patients may not consider urinary incontinence as a severe problem but rather a sort of treatment due to aging, many Iranian urology surgeons believe that seeking the right treatment is extremely beneficial to relieve women from unwanted stress. In Iran, most of the hospitals and health care centers are equipped with advanced facilities that can significantly help doctors in giving an accurate diagnosis and advising the appropriate methods for surgery. A recent study published by Vali-e-Asr Reproductive Health Research, Tehran, Iran demonstrated the crucial impact that Urinary incontinence can have on people’s social life, occupation, and physical activities. Consequently, before giving the final assessment, Iranian surgeons will always consider various aspects that this condition has created for patients in order to be able to provide the right treatment.