What is Botulinum Toxin?
Botulinum toxin has been used for many years in cosmetic surgery
to reduce facial wrinkles as it stops nerve signals which cause
muscles to contract. It is now a widely used and effective
treatment for people with an overactive bladder or urge
incontinence, where your bladder muscle starts to squeeze at the
wrong time. Botulinum toxin injections into your bladder
reduce contractions so that your bladder control improves.
What does this involve?
The bladder injections can usually be done under local
anaesthetic but sometimes a general anaesthetic is preferred
although you can normally still go home the same day. The
procedure takes around twenty minutes.
A local anaesthetic gel is applied to the urethra and a narrow
telescope is then inserted into the bladder. A fine needle is used
to give the injections. The injections can cause a little
discomfort, but they aren't usually painful.
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When will I recover?
As you are admitted as a day case, you would normally be able to
go home on the same day and there are few side effects. The
effect of the injection lasts about nine months, but can last
considerably longer before another injection is needed.
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What risks should I know about?
You may notice a little blood in your urine afterwards, but this
quickly settles just by drinking plenty of water. Some
patients can have difficulty emptying their bladder after the
injection, which can lead to infections although this is usually a
temporary problem.
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Circle care
Botulinum toxin injections are carried out in our specialist
unit at CircleBath where our surgeons have created a centre of
excellence. You can be sure of state of the art facilities
and the best possible care.
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