Collagen Implants
Collagen implants are usually done in the hospital on an outpatient basis. Your doctor or a nurse can instruct you on how to prepare for the implant procedure and explain what to expect afterward.
Your Experience
To keep you from feeling pain during hte procedure, your urethra and bladder area may be numbed (local anesthesia), your body below the waist may be numbed (regional anesthesia), or you may be completely asleep (general anesthesia). The doctor inserts a cystoscope (a thin, tubelike telescope) into your urethra. This instrument lets the doctor see the inside of your urethra. A needle is inserted (either through the cystoscope or along the outside of your urethra) to the sphincter area. The doctor injects collagen through this needle into the wall of the urethra. The injections make the tissue close up, which stops urine from leaking out of the bladder.
Collagen is injected around the urethra near the sphincter. The collagen "bulks" the urethral tissue, creating a seal that stops urine from leaking. When you try to urinate, the tissue separates naturally to allow urine to flow.