Improve Your Bladder Health

Urinary incontinence, also known as urinary leakage, and bladder control problems are no longer conditions you need to suffer through. The urogynecology field offers care and treatment options for women who suffer from these common pelvic floor disorders. 

Urinary Incontinence

Many women leak urine from time to time. Leakage of urine can happen with certain movements, during pregnancy or during physical activities. Some women find they lose urine with the sound of running water or lose urine with the first sensation of the need to urinate.

The causes of incontinence also may be a urinary tract infection, pelvic support problems, abnormalities of the urinary tract, medications, neuromuscular problems or physical limitations.

Your provider can diagnose which type of incontinence you have based on your medical history, physical examination and through specific tests, inclding urodynamic testing. Urodynamic tests helps us see how well your bladder and sphincter muscles work and can help explain symptoms such as: 

• Incontinence
• Frequent urination
• Sudden, strong urges to urinate
• Problems starting a urine stream
• Painful urination
• Problems emptying your bladder completely
• Recurrent urinary tract infections

Treatment may include behavioral modifications, medications, or pessaries (a device inserted into the vagina to support the pelvic organs). Kegel exercises may be recommended to strengthen the pelvic muscles that support the bladder and urethra.

If surgery is recommended, there are several options available, such a midurethral sling, a minimally invasive procedure. Relief from incontinence can often be immediate and women can return to most activities immediately. 

Pelvic Support Issues

After childbirth or with age or from pelvic relaxation, a woman can develop feelings of pelvic heaviness or the inability to empty the bladder or bowels fully and can often feel a "ball" in the vaginal canal. Women can develop cystocele (bladder bulge into the vagina ), rectocele (rectal bulge into the vagina), enterocele (bulge of the small bowel into the vagina) or uterine prolapse.

These conditions can be treated using pelvic therapy, pessaries or surgery. Treatment is individualized for each patient.