Surgical Options for Persistent Urinary Tract Infections

Although most urinary tract infections clear up with antibiotics, surgery may be required for UTIs which do not respond to medication. Surgery is also required when recurrent urinary tract infections occurr as the result of a more serious underlying condition.

Women

• Each year, nearly 7 million American women experience UTIs, of which 20 percent develop recurrent infections. Surgery may be required in those cases to repair structural abnormalities or abscesses found within the urinary tract.

Infants

• Infants may experience vesicoureteral reflux, a defect or blockage in the urinary tract which disrupts the flow of urine. As a result, the child will experience recurrent urinary tract infections and possible kidney failure.

Vesicoureteral Reflux Surgery

• Open surgery for vesicoureteral reflux requires entry through the lower abdomen to repair a defect. In endoscopic surgery, a bulking agent is inserted into the ureter to keep the urine from flowing back into the kidneys.

Elderly Men

• Elderly men may develop enlarged prostates which can press down on the urethra, causing a blockage in the flow of urine. A back flow of urine may lead to recurrent urinary tract infections.

TURP

• Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) is the most common surgery for sufferers of an enlarged prostate. Surgeons scrape away excess tissue on the prostate, relieving such symptoms as recurrent urinary tract infections in the process.