Overactive Bladder
What is Botox for the bladder?
What is the short answer?
Botox can calm an overactive bladder muscle.
It's injected into the bladder wall through a thin scope, in a two-to-three-minute procedure in our surgery centers.
What else should I know?
It usually starts working within two weeks and lasts about six months, then can be repeated.
A small number of people may need to use a catheter for a time.
When should I make an appointment?
If pills haven't worked, ask whether Botox fits you.
Asking about PTNS?
Needle-based PTNS isn’t part of our care. Our tibial nerve treatment is Altaviva Therapy by Medtronic, an implant placed under the skin at the ankle.
Where will I be seen?
For Loganville, our Snellville Clinic & Surgery Center, 1557 Janmar Rd, Snellville, GA 30078, brings your visits and any procedure together in one building.
How do our urologists approach this?
Botox is one of the next steps our urologists consider when bladder pills haven’t helped enough. Before recommending it, we confirm overactive bladder is the cause and check how well your bladder empties. Then we compare it with InterStim and Altaviva. We’ll explain what the treatment involves, how long it usually lasts and how to tell if it’s working.
What happens at a visit?
We’ll ask you to bring a bladder diary and a list of the medicines you’ve tried. A urine test is standard. After the treatment, we’ll check how well you’re emptying and plan when to repeat it.
How should I prepare?
Track your bathroom visits and any leaks over two or three days, and jot down each bladder pill you’ve used. Before treatment day, tell us about any recent urinary infection, since we’ll want it treated first, and plan for a brief recovery at our Snellville Clinic & Surgery Center before heading home.
When should I call?
Let us know right away if emptying becomes hard, you notice burning or fever after treatment, or the urgency creeps back.
What do patients often ask?
These are the questions we hear most, each with a short answer.
How long does it last?
It usually starts working within two weeks and lasts about six months, then it can be repeated.
Is there a video on this?
Dr. Andrew Ostrowski explains overactive bladder and its treatments in this Advanced Urology video.
- Watch: Overactive Bladder Explained: Symptoms, Causes & Latest Treatments with Dr. Andrew Ostrowski What the video covers: Dr. Andrew Ostrowski explains the symptoms and causes of overactive bladder and treatment options, from lifestyle changes and medicines to advanced therapies.
What should I read next?
Background information, not a substitute for being seen. Loganville articles