Decreasing Habitual Drinking
August 8, 2014
Avoiding Excessive Fluid Intake Wherever you look these days, someone is telling you to drink 8 glasses of water a day. This is one of the reasons many women with OAB carry a water bottle with them most of the time and sip fluid throughout the day. We refer to this as habitual drinking. Habitual drinking is drinking out of […]
What is perineal relaxation and perineorrhaphy?
July 30, 2014
Perineal relaxation is a condition in which the opening to the vagina is stretched and relaxed. The muscles of the perineum weaken, resulting in an increased caliber of the vaginal opening. Some women describe this as a feeling of “vaginal looseness” or feel that there is decreased sensation during intercourse. The pictures below show the appearance of the opening into […]
Power Morcellation used in Pelvic Organ Prolapse Surgeries
June 16, 2014
Recent attention has been given to the surgical technique of power morcellation after the FDA released a communication about this technique. This communication from the FDA informed the public about a small risk of spreading undiagnosed uterine cancer throughout the abdomen during power morcellation. Multiple medical organizations have reinforced that the concern of spreading undiagnosed uterine cancer is for power […]
Traditional Anterior and Posterior Vaginal Prolapse Repair
June 9, 2014
The traditional vaginal prolapse repair surgery is the Anterior and Posterior Colporrhaphy. This is done for women with a smaller cystocele or rectocele. The procedure involves a plication (bringing together) of the supportive tissue between the bladder and vagina, and rectum and vagina using sutures. In women with larger defects, a more extensive vaginal prolapse repair or da Vinci sacrocolpexy […]
What is Colpocleisis?
June 4, 2014
In some patients not medically able to withstand a vaginal reconstructive procedure, and who do not wish to be sexually active in the future, the choice of treatment may be total colpocleisis or vaginectomy In this procedure, the pelvic floor musculature is brought together to block the prolapse, the vaginal bulge is reduced and the length of the vagina is […]
What is a Sling Excision?
May 28, 2014
Mid-urethral sling is the treatment of choice for stress urinary incontinence (SUI). The sling provides support to the urethra, preventing leakage with physical stress or urethral mobility. Urodynamics (an in-office bladder study) is done prior to surgery to determine how tight or how loose to make the sling. More severe SUI is treated with a tighter sling, minimal or standard […]
What is a PA?
May 19, 2014
Physician assistants are trained in schools of medicine and provide medical care in collaboration with a supervising physician. Their role in a medical practice varies from practice to practice based on the needs of that practice.
Power Morcellation and Recent Expert Concerns
May 13, 2014
“Power morcellation” is a common technique used by urogynecologic and other surgeons. Power morcellation involves breaking up tissue that is being pulled out of the abdominal cavity. Minimally invasive urogynecologic surgeries use very small incisions, which are often less than 1 inch long. It would be impossible to pull out surgically removed uteruses with large fibroids (leiomyomas) through these tiny […]
Will I Go Through Menopause if I Have a Hysterectomy?
May 7, 2014
There are different types of hysterectomies. A hysterectomy refers to removal of the uterus and the cervix (total hysterectomy) or removal of the uterus without removal of the cervix (supracervical or partial hysterectomy). If the ovaries are removed at the same time, this is called a hysterectomy with bilateral salpingectomy (BSO). The ovaries are usually left in place unless there […]
Hormones are secreted from the ovaries. These hormone levels decline with age and are minimal in post-menopausal women. If the ovaries are left in place at the time of a hysterectomy, there is no change in the level of hormones excreted by the ovaries and pre-menopausal women will experience menopause naturally. If the ovaries are removed in a pre-menopausal woman, […]
Do I Need a Mid-Urethral Sling if I Only Leak on Occasion?
April 30, 2014
You came in for a vaginal bulge and you only leak every once in a while when you cough or sneeze but it doesn’t really bother you…so why did we recommend prolapse repair with a mid-urethral sling (TVT)? When the bladder drops (cystocele) or the uterus protrudes down into the vagina (uterine prolapse), sometimes this kinks the urethra and decreases […]