The UT Physicians urogynecology specialists have broad experience in the management and care of women with lower urinary tract and pelvic floor conditions. From pelvic floor prolapse to urinary incontinence, our board-certified urogynecologists provide a full spectrum of diagnoses and treatments for various conditions affecting pelvic health.
You can expect access to a team of comprehensive, multidisciplinary urogynecology experts trained in female pelvic health and advanced, minimally invasive treatments. Our care is always accessible with convenient locations throughout the Greater Houston area.
What is Urogynecology?
The study of pelvic floor disorders in women is referred to as urogynecology. It is a specialty within OB-GYN, and all urogynecologists are trained in gynecology and urology. This background gives them the unique expertise to treat women who suffer from pelvic floor disorders and issues of the bladder.
This treatment often involves non-surgical treatments, and when gynecologic surgery is required, it’s often a minimally invasive procedure. This treatment option can allow for less pain, a quicker recovery, and far less risk than more traditional abdominal surgery.
Urogynecology is also sometimes called female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery.
What is the Pelvic Floor?
The pelvic floor is a set of muscles between the tailbone and pubic bone that act as a support for the bowel, bladder, uterus, and vagina. These muscles play an important role in daily life. They help stabilize your core, protect pelvic organs during activities like coughing or lifting, and work to control your bladder and bowel. The pelvic floor is a vital part of the birthing process as it aids in contractions during vaginal delivery.
Over time, these muscles can weaken with age just like any other muscle in the body. They can also be injured like other muscles, which can lead to organ prolapse or incontinence. This can cause a variety of symptoms, such as:
- Leaking stool (fecal incontinence)
- This can also look like difficulty controlling gas.
- Leaking urine (urinary incontinence)
- This often happens while laughing, exercising, sneezing, or coughing.
- Frequent bathroom visits or a constant urge to urinate
- Straining or pushing when passing a bowel movement
- Chronic constipation
- Painful urination
- Low back pain
- Pain in the pelvic region
Although these kinds of pelvic floor disorders are fairly common in women, they are rarely talked about. Women are hesitant to seek help and believe their symptoms are just factors of aging. However, in most cases, their symptoms are very treatable. The pelvic floor can be strengthened and treated with therapies and medications, and in cases where surgery is needed, there are many minimally invasive options.
Common Conditions Treated
Urinary Incontinence
- Urinary incontinence
- There are many types of urinary incontinence, but they all involve a dysfunction related to urination, whether it’s the inability to urinate or frequent urination.
- Urinary leaking
- This is sometimes called stress incontinence. It is where urine leaks due to pressure on the bladder from movements like laughing, coughing, or exercising.
- Urinary urgency and frequency
- This is another type of incontinence that occurs when you feel a strong urge to urinate that comes on very suddenly and you have trouble making it to the restroom. This often involves urine leaking.
- Overactive bladder (OAB)
- This is a disorder that causes various symptoms, which can include the sudden urge to urinate, a frequent need to go to the restroom, and sometimes incontinence.
- Dysfunctional voiding and urinary retention
- This is when the bladder never fully empties because the muscles controlling the bladder never fully relax. This can cause a type of incontinence called overflow incontinence, which is associated with frequent or constant urine leaks.
Issues of the Bladder
- Recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs)
- This occurs when one has more than 3 UTIs in one year. It is usually the result of a bacterial reinfection, but it could also be a case of a new bacteria, bacterial persistence, or another cause entirely.
- Bladder pain syndrome
- This is a condition that involves chronic pain, discomfort, and pressure in the bladder. It used to be known as interstitial cystitis.
- Urethral diverticulum
- This is a type of pocket that can form along the walls of the urethra. It can become filled with urine, which leads to infection and can cause vaginal or pelvic pain.
- Microscopic hematuria
- This is when blood is found in the urine. It is generally associated with a UTI, but it can be related to several other kinds of disorders and diseases.
Fecal Incontinence
- Fecal incontinence
- This is when one cannot control or hold their feces or stool until they reach the restroom. It can be caused by many different factors, such as diarrhea, nerve damage, a pelvic floor disorder, etc.
- Defecatory dysfunctions
- This is generally any disorder that makes defecating difficult, excluding bowel leakage disorders (or fecal incontinence).
Pelvic Organ Prolapse
- Cystocele
- This is when the wall between the bladder and the vagina weakens, which can cause the bladder to prolapse or sag into the vagina.
- Enterocele
- This occurs when the small intestine prolapses into the pelvic cavity and pushes on the wall of the vagina, causing a bulge to appear.
- Rectocele
- This is when the wall between a woman’s rectum and vaginal wall weakens, causing the rectum to sag into the vagina.
- Urethrocele
- This is when the urethra moves and presses against the wall of the vagina.
- Uterine prolapse
- When the pelvic floor muscles weaken, they can no longer support the uterus, which causes it to fall into the vagina.
- Vaginal vault prolapse
- This is when the top part of the vagina sags into the lower part of the vagina.
Other Conditions
- Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser (MRKH)
- This is a rare congenital disorder that affects the development of the pelvic floor organs and causes vaginal absence deformities. It’s characterized by an underdeveloped vagina and uterus.
- Fistulas
- A fistula is an abnormal opening between two organs in the pelvic floor. They develop due to prolonged labor or a particularly difficult delivery. It can also happen because of pelvic infections or radiation in the pelvic area.
- Birth injuries
- This can look different in every woman, but it can include perineal lacerations, painful intercourse, urinary incontinence, fecal incontinence, and other symptoms or injuries related to giving birth.
Services & Treatments Offered:
- Minimally Invasive Surgery
- Bladder or bowel incontinence
- Pelvic organ prolapse
- Pelvic floor injuries during childbirth
- Repair of fistulas
- Procedures
- Pessaries
- Botulinum toxin bladder injections
- Sacral and peripheral nerve stimulation
- Therapies
- Pelvic floor physical therapy
- Interstitial cystitis therapy
- Testing
- Multichannel urodynamic testing
- Cystoscopy
