A urogynecologist is a type of doctor who diagnoses and treats women with pelvic floor disorders (PFDs). The pelvic floor is the group of muscles, tissue, and organs below the stomach area that holds the pelvic organs in place. In women, these include the bladder, urethra, intestines, rectum, uterus, cervix, and vagina.
Urogynecologists have training and experience that goes far beyond what most gynecologists have, enabling them to provide more specialized care for PFDs.
PFD symptoms
- Bladder leakage after coughing, sneezing, or laughing
- Bladder leakage with a strong urge or no warning
- Bowel accidents
- Pressure or bulging in the vagina
- Frequent urination
- Feeling like you need to urinate, even when your bladder is empty
PFD risk factors
PFDs are common conditions that can happen at any age but especially as women get older. Other risk factors include menopause, hysterectomy, being overweight, smoking, and childbirth (especially with vaginal deliveries). However, women who’ve never been pregnant or delivered a baby can also have a PFD.
Many things can put pressure on a woman’s pelvic floor or cause weak or torn pelvic muscles that sometimes lead to PFDs. These include frequent constipation, chronic coughing, excessive straining during bowel movements, and heavy lifting.
Pelvic organ prolapse
After urinary/bowel leakage, the second most common PFD is pelvic organ prolapse. This happens when an organ in the pelvic area slips down and sometimes bulges into and even out of the vagina. It affects about 40% of women at some point in their lives, and the risk tends to increase with age. Some women describe it as feeling like they’re sitting on an egg.
Bladder prolapse is the most common type of female pelvic organ prolapse, which is sometimes known as vaginal prolapse or genital prolapse. If the womb slips down, it is called uterine prolapse. Other types affect the small bowel, urethra, or rectum.
Treatment
For some women, pelvic floor disorders are mild and may not require treatment, though they can get worse over time. Symptoms such as urinary/bowel leakage are common, but they are nothing to be ashamed of, and they aren’t something you simply have to live with. Many treatments are available, including surgical and non-surgical options. As a leading academic medical center that participates in clinical trials, UAB Medicine may offer promising new treatments that are not available elsewhere.
If you are experiencing any of the symptoms or conditions mentioned above, please call 205-934-9999 to make an appointment with the UAB Division of Urogynecology and Pelvic Reconstructive Surgery, or visit uabmedicine.org/women to learn more.