Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery

• Pelvic Organ Prolapse: Should I Have Surgery?

  Guides through decision to have surgery for pelvic organ prolapse. Explains symptoms and discusses several types of surgeries used for different symptoms. Covers benefits and risks. Includes an interactive tool to help you make your decision.

• Urinary Incontinence: Talk to Your Doctor

  Learn more about leaking urine and why you should talk to your doctor about it.

• Pelvic Exercises for Urinary Incontinence

  Learn how to do exercises that can help prevent urine leakage.

• Pushing a Rectal Prolapse Into Place

  If you or your child has a rectal prolapse, you may be able to push the prolapse back into place as soon as it occurs. Your doctor will let you know if this is okay to do. Put on disposable gloves, and put lubricating jelly on your finger. Gently...

• Stress Incontinence in Women: Should I Have Surgery?

  Guides you through the decision to have surgery for stress incontinence. Explains causes of stress incontinence. Lists risks and benefits of surgery. Explains other treatment choices. Includes interactive tool to help you decide.

• Dementia: Bladder and Bowel Problems

  Loss of bladder and bowel control (incontinence) can sometimes result from Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. Several strategies may help you deal with this problem: Encourage the person to use the bathroom on a regular schedule, such as every...

• Rectal Prolapse

  What is rectal prolapse? Rectal prolapse occurs when part or all of the wall of the rectum slides out of place, sometimes sticking out of the anus. See a picture of rectal prolapse. There are three types of rectal prolapse. Partial prolapse (also called mucosal prolapse). The lining (mucous membrane) of the rectum...

• Urinary Incontinence: Keeping a Daily Record

  Keep a daily diary of all liquids taken in and all urine released, whether voluntary or involuntary. Your health professional may also call this a voiding log, bladder record, frequency-volume chart, incontinence chart, or voiding diary. The diary...

• Kegel Exercises

  Kegel exercises make your pelvic floor muscles stronger. These muscles control your urine flow and help hold your pelvic organs in place. Doctors often prescribe Kegels for: Stress incontinence. This means leaking urine when you laugh, cough, sneeze, jog, or lift something heavy. Urge...

• Bladder Stress Test in Women

  A bladder stress test simulates the accidental release of urine ( urinary incontinence) that may occur when you cough, sneeze, laugh, or exercise. A Bonney test is done as part of the bladder stress test, after the doctor verifies that urine is lost with coughing. It is similar to the bladder stress test except the...

• Urodynamic Tests for Urinary Incontinence

  Urodynamic tests for urinary incontinence are measurements taken to evaluate your bladder's function and efficiency. The actual tests done vary from person to person. Some urodynamic tests are relatively simple and can be done in a doctor's office. Other tests require expensive and sophisticated instruments to measure...

• Retropubic Suspension for Urinary Incontinence in Women

  Retropubic suspension surgery is used to treat urinary incontinence by lifting the sagging bladder neck and urethra that have dropped abnormally low in the pelvic area. Retropubic suspension is abdominal surgery, where access to the bladder and urethra is gained by making an incision in the abdominal (belly) wall. This...

• Urethral Sling for Stress Incontinence in Women

  Urethral sling surgery, also called mid-urethral sling surgery, is done to treat urinary incontinence. A sling is placed around the urethra to lift it back into a normal position and to exert pressure on the urethra to aid urine retention. The sling is attached to the abdominal (belly) wall. The sling material may be...

• Urethral Bulking for Urinary Incontinence

  Urethral bulking to treat urinary incontinence involves injecting material (such as collagen) around the urethra. This may be done to: Close a hole in the urethra through which urine leaks out. Build up the thickness of the wall of the urethra so it seals tightly when you hold back urine. Most bulking materials are...

• Behavioral Methods for Urinary Incontinence

  Several types of behavioral methods are used for treating urinary incontinence: bladder training, habit training, biofeedback, and pelvic muscle exercises. People who have incontinence due to physical or mental limitations ( functional incontinence) can try timed voiding and prompted voiding. Bladder training...

• Electrical Stimulation for Urinary Incontinence

  Electrical stimulation is used to treat urinary incontinence by sending a mild electric current to nerves in the lower back or the pelvic muscles that are involved in urination. You may be able to provide electrical stimulation therapy at home using a unit with a vaginal or anal electrode. Timing and duration of...

• Absorbent Products for Urinary Incontinence

  Absorbent products are items that absorb urine, such as adult diapers, plastic-coated underwear, pads, or panty liners that attach to underwear. Most commercially available items are disposable (such as Depend or Poise). Some absorbent cloths can be washed and reused. Drip collectors that fit over the penis are also...

• Urinary Incontinence in Women

  Discusses urinary incontinence in women. Looks at types of incontinence, including stress and urge incontinence. Covers causes and symptoms. Discusses treatment with medicine or surgery. Offers home treatment and prevention tips.

• Vaginal Fistula

  What is a vaginal fistula? A fistula is a passage or hole that has formed between: Two organs in your body. An organ in your body and your skin. A fistula that has formed in the wall of the vagina is called a vaginal fistula. A vaginal fistula that opens into the urinary tract is...

• Pelvic Organ Prolapse

  What is pelvic organ prolapse? Pelvic organ prolapse occurs when a pelvic organ—such as your bladder—drops (prolapses) from its normal place in your lower belly and pushes against the walls of your vagina. This can happen when the muscles that hold your pelvic organs in place get weak or stretched from childbirth or...

• Repair of Bladder Prolapse (Cystocele) or Urethra Prolapse (Urethrocele)

  Two common forms of pelvic organ prolapse are bladder prolapse (cystocele) and urethral prolapse (urethrocele). A cystocele occurs when the wall of the bladder presses against and moves the wall of the vagina. A urethrocele occurs when the tissues surrounding the urethra sag downward into the vagina. Both conditions...

• Repair of Rectocele or Enterocele

  A rectocele occurs when the end of the large intestine (rectum) pushes against and moves the back wall of the vagina. An enterocele (small bowel prolapse) occurs when the small bowel presses against and moves the upper wall of the vagina. Rectoceles and enteroceles develop if the lower pelvic muscles become damaged by...

• Repair of Vaginal Wall Prolapse (Vaginal Vault Prolapse)

  Vaginal vault prolapse occurs when the upper portion of the vagina loses its normal shape and sags or drops down into the vaginal canal or outside of the vagina. It may occur alone or along with prolapse of the bladder ( cystocele), urethra ( urethrocele), rectum ( rectocele), or small bowel ( enterocele). Vaginal vault...

• Closure of the Vagina (Vaginal Obliteration)

  Closure of the vagina is surgery done for an older woman whose uterus has moved from its natural position to press uncomfortably into the vagina ( uterine prolapse). This procedure may also be done if an older woman's vagina severely sags or drops into the vaginal canal ( vaginal vault prolapse). In this surgery, the...

• Vaginal Pessaries

  A vaginal pessary is a removable device placed into the vagina. It is designed to support areas of pelvic organ prolapse. A variety of pessaries are available, including the ring, inflatable, doughnut, and Gellhorn. Your doctor will fit your pessary to hold the pelvic organs in position without causing discomfort...

• Tension-Free Vaginal Tape for Stress Incontinence in Women

  Stress incontinence in women can cause frequent involuntary release of urine during activities that put pressure on your bladder, such as coughing or laughing. The tension-free vaginal tape (TVT) procedure is designed to provide support for a sagging urethra so that when you cough or move vigorously or suddenly, the...

• Urinary Problems and Prostate Cancer

  Both prostate cancer and its treatment may cause urinary problems. Urinary problems caused by prostate cancer The urethra—the tube that carries urine from your bladder and through your penis—passes through the middle of the prostate gland. When the prostate presses against the urethra, you can have trouble...

• Urinary Incontinence in Men

  Discusses urinary incontinence in men. Looks at types of incontinence, including stress, urge, overflow, total, and functional. Covers causes and symptoms. Covers treatment with medicine or surgery. Offers home treatment and prevention tips.

• Catheters for Urinary Incontinence in Men

  Catheters used to manage urinary incontinence include: Standard catheter. This is a thin, flexible, hollow tube that is inserted through the urethra into the bladder and allows the urine to drain out. The standard catheter is used for intermittent self-catheterization. Indwelling Foley...

• Stress Incontinence in Men

  Stress incontinence occurs when a man unintentionally releases a small amount of urine when he coughs, laughs, strains, lifts, or changes posture. It is most common after a man has had his prostate gland removed and there was damage to the nerves or to the external bladder outlet valve (sphincter). After a man's...

• Artificial Sphincter for Urinary Incontinence in Men

  An artificial sphincter is a device made of silicone rubber that is used to treat urinary incontinence. An artificial sphincter has an inflatable cuff that fits around the urethra close to the point where it joins the bladder. A balloon regulates the pressure of the cuff, and a bulb controls inflation and deflation of...