Final answer:
Sling procedures are performed to correct urinary stress incontinence, a condition where small amounts of urine leak due to increased abdominal pressure, often related to weakened pelvic muscles or an enlarged prostate gland.
Step-by-step explanation:
Sling procedures are surgical interventions designed to treat urinary stress incontinence. This condition involves the leakage of small amounts of urine during activities that increase abdominal pressure, such as coughing, sneezing, or lifting. The cause of this condition in women is usually the stretching of pelvic floor muscles, often as a result of childbirth, while in men it can be due to an enlarged prostate gland.
Stress urinary incontinence is different from urge urinary incontinence, which is the involuntary leakage of urine due to uncontrolled contractions of the detrusor muscle in the wall of the bladder. Sling procedures involve placing a sling around the urethra to lift and support it, thereby providing the necessary support to prevent urine leakage. Treatment for other urinary system disorders like kidney stones, bladder infections, and urethral or bladder tumors will differ and are not addressed by sling procedures. For example, kidney stones may require pain management, lithotripsy, the insertion of a stent, or surgery, depending on their size and the severity of the blockage they cause.