Tracey found that as she got older she started to feel the effects of childbirth, changing hormones and simply age. Incontinence is a common condition in women, in fact one in three women struggle with stress incontinence as they age. Often starting with small leaks when you cough or sneeze, for Tracey it progressed to happening regularily during exercise and hiking. Eventually, it became a problem that was happening every day, sometimes even with motions like bending over just to tie her shoes.
She knew she had to do something, it was affecting her lifestyle and the things she could do. She had tried a few non-invasive options first, but was unhappy with the feel or the function. Tracey was getting ready to book surgery when, she heard about the new Viveve treatment. She jumped at the opportunity to try a non-surgical solution that could potentially help her with her stress incontinence.
Once a resident in the Denver area, she flew to area from a small town, where she currently lives, to undergo the Viveve treatment at Urology Associates. Not knowing what to expect she was pleasantly surprised by her experience and the ease of the treatment. “It was comfortable, and other than a warm sensation, the 45 minute treatment was virtually pain-free,” she said.
“There really was no recovery time or pain following the procedure either.” She hopped on a plane that same day, following the Viveve treatment, went home and went to work the next day. “There really was no pain afterwards at all, but it felt like it tightened things up.”
The Viveve procedure works by using a gentle deep heating and surface cooling to stimulate the body’s natural collagen formation process. A treatment tip delivers pulses of monopolar radiofrequency energy, which results in the heating of the connective tissue which results in a tightening of the muscles in the pelvic floor.
Many women who have mild to moderate stress urinary incontinence are excellent candidates for the Viveve Treatment. People who:
- Experience urine leakage while exercising, running, jumping, sneezing or coughing
- Have been pregnant or experienced childbirth
- Have hormonal changes such as, perimenopause or menopause
- Have had significant weight loss
- Had a hysterectomy (or any other surgery that affects your pelvic floor)
About a week after the procedure, Tracey began to notice, “I am not leaking when I sit down to tie my shoes, when I go hiking or when I lift my luggage overhead.” Tracey was thrilled! In the month following the procedure, she found it just continued to get even better with time.
“I would do it again – It was a little miracle for me!”