Functional disorders in the urogenital tract generally have a significant impact on quality of life. Urinary incontinence, pain and constantly recurring urinary tract infections are common symptoms of serious dysregulation of the bladder and sphincter apparatus or pelvic floor and are part of the symptom complex of numerous neurological diseases.
In order to ensure patient-oriented and guideline-compliant care for complex neuro-urological conditions, we need to provide our patients with highly individualised advice on conservative and surgical treatment options. For this reason, an interdisciplinary neuro-urological special consultation was initiated in 2016 by the Department of Urology and Paediatric Urology and the Department of Neurology at Ulm University Hospital. There is also close cooperation with colleagues from the Department of Gynaecology through the interdisciplinary pelvic floor centre. In particular, patients with bladder dysfunction in multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, stroke and congenital or acquired paraplegia are treated in our interdisciplinary neuro-urological consultation hours. We also have extensive experience in the diagnosis and treatment of bowel and sexual dysfunctions.
Our team will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
Consultation appointments
Phone 0731 500-54777
You can reach us by phone:
Monday to Friday: 7:30 - 14:30
Notes on making an appointment
To ensure that your appointment runs as smoothly as possible, please note the following information:
- Please bring all relevant previous findings from your urologist or neurologist with you to your appointment.
- If available, this also applies to any previous imaging (computerised tomography of the abdomen/pelvis, X-ray examination of the bladder, MRI of the spine and head, etc.). We ask you to bring both written findings and the CD with the original examinations.
- For patients with bladder problems in particular, we ask you to bring a completed micturition record with you to the appointment. Enclosed you will find instructions on how to complete this. This document helps us to better categorise your symptoms and helps to improve your therapy.
- Patients who use intermittent self-catherisation are asked to bring a catheter protocol with them to their appointment.
The healthy bladder has two functions: to store urine and to empty it at certain times. If there is a disorder of the nervous supply to the bladder and pelvic floor, the possible symptoms are very diverse. This often leads to considerable delays in the correct diagnosis and treatment recommendation. Typically, there is a sudden and constant urge to urinate with sometimes involuntary loss of urine ("urinary incontinence"). An additional impairment of bowel function is noticed in around half of our patients. A urinary bladder emptying disorder often goes unnoticed for a long time, but can lead to urinary tract infections or even the formation of urinary stones in the bladder.
Frequent symptoms:
Sudden urge to urinate
Increased sensitivity or hyperactivity of the bladder can lead to a sudden, sometimes unsuppressible urge to urinate. This can also lead to urinary incontinence, which can be socially isolating and significantly reduce the quality of life of affected patients.
Recurrent urinary tract infections
If there is pain and burning when urinating, foul-smelling urine or even new urinary incontinence, urine diagnostics should be carried out quickly. Especially in patients with neurogenic bladder dysfunction, a consistent microbiological examination of the urine using urine culture is recommended. A urinary tract infection that ascends into the kidneys ("pyelonephritis") usually causes a severe feeling of illness and fever. Immediate medical advice is required in this case. Many bladder infections and therefore the use of antibiotics can be avoided by conservative measures. In the case of non-symptomatic urinary tract infections, a very strict assessment must be made as to whether antibiotic therapy is necessary at all.
Frequent urination
Frequent urination is a very common symptom that can occur, for example, with an overactive bladder or a bladder emptying disorder. Diagnosis and treatment can vary greatly and depend on the underlying condition. Nocturnal urination in particular leads to sleep disturbances and can, under certain circumstances, have a major impact on quality of life.
Residual urine
A urinary bladder emptying disorder can occur due to a weakness of the bladder muscle, a neurological disorder or a narrowing of the urethra. If the bladder is not emptied regularly, this can lead to frequent urinary tract infections.
Constipation
Nervous disorders of the bladder function are often accompanied by reduced bowel activity. The resulting tendency to constipation can lead to pain, difficult bowel movements and even faecal retention and increased bladder problems.
Loss of kidney function
Recurrent urinary tract infections and/or excessive pressure within the urinary bladder can lead to progressive damage to the kidneys. This usually requires lifelong medical care.
The Department of Urology and Paediatric Urology at Ulm University Hospital treats over 3,000 inpatients and around 9,000 outpatients every year. The clinic has correspondingly extensive experience in the treatment of almost all urological clinical pictures and the comprehensive range of non-invasive and invasive diagnostics benefits patients with functional disorders of the urinary bladder.
A central examination instrument is the urodynamic measuring station. State-of-the-art ultrasound technology complements the various pressure measurements, the scope and implementation of which is individually tailored to our patients by the attending physician. Our therapeutic options range from conservative approaches, such as urotherapy, to minimally invasive endoscopic procedures and major surgical interventions. However, the primary goal is always to exhaust all non-surgical treatment options and to preserve the bladder organ.
Our certified interdisciplinary continence and pelvic floor centre in Ulm enables us to provide you with an interdisciplinary urogynaecological assessment and treatment recommendations. We also have a supra-regional network of urotherapists, specialised physiotherapists, various medical supply stores and outpatient care services at our disposal.
Do you have any questions?
We are here for you and offer you an interdisciplinary consultation service run by the urology and neurology departments. Regular joint conferences and case discussions serve to determine treatment strategies that are specifically adapted to your needs.