Botox (Botulinum A toxin) is a powerful drug that acts to temporarily paralyze muscles when it is locally injected. Botox is known for its popular use in cosmetics, but it has far-reaching medical applications. It is commonly used for diverse conditions like muscle spasticity, and headaches, as well as the treatment of urinary incontinence. Botox is a well-tolerated treatment and the application of this therapy ranges from simple conditions like an overactive bladder to treatment of severely spastic bladders from neurologic disease. In many instances, Botox can be injected in a short procedure in our clinic. The therapy lasts for six to eight months and then is re-injected. There is no limitation to the duration of using this type of therapy.
Voiding dysfunction due to Detrusor underactivity(DU) or urethral sphincter dysfunction is a treatment challenge for urologists. Recently, urologists have used botulinum toxin A (BoNT-A) injection into the urethral sphincter to treat voiding dysfunction. This treatment has been found to decrease urethral pressure and postvoid residual volume and increase voiding efficiency in patients with neurogenic detrusor sphincter dyssynergia, nonneurogenic dysfunctional voiding, and detrusor underactivity.