Outlook

Urinary tract infection

While urinary tract infection treatment is generally uncomplicated, if not treated promptly, these infections can cause permanent scarring of the urinary tract. In a very severe infection, pyelonephritis can spread to the blood stream and cause a severe infection requiring hospitalization. An estimated 1-3% of people with pyelonephritis die, though death is rare in otherwise healthy people and factors associated with poor outcome or death are poor health, kidney stones, recent hospitalizations, diabetes, sickle cell disease, cancer, or chronic kidney disease.

Bladder control problems

The good news for women with bladder control problems is that while treatment may not result in cure, symptoms are reduced in most cases. An estimated 90% of people with stress incontinence experience either improvement or cure. An estimated 44% of people with urge incontinence experience cure and 83% have an improvement in symptoms.

Bladder prolapse

Most cases of prolapsed bladder are mild and can be treated with or without surgery. Severely prolapsed bladders can be completely corrected with surgery. This condition is rarely life threatening.