Conditions and Disorders Treated

Urogynecologists are fully trained gynecologic surgeons with an additional three years of fellowship training in diagnostic testing for pelvic floor disorders and in advanced and complex gynecologic surgeries

Pelvic Floor Disorders

Pelvic floor disorders include a wide number of issues that commonly affect women. These problems can occur at all stages of a woman's life, but often start after childbirth and around menopause. The most common conditions include urinary incontinence and pelvic prolapse (relaxation), which often occur together. It is estimated that 50% of women with children lose pelvic floor support resulting in prolapse .Yet, only 10-20% of them seek care for their symptoms. The prevalence of urinary incontinence in the 15-64 year old age group is 10-25% and up to 50% in women over the age of 60 years. The lifetime “risk” of surgery for urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse is 11.1%

Urinary Incontinence

Bladder control problems are common in women. The most common types of urinary incontinence are:

• Stress Incontinence: Leaking occurs with laughing, coughing, sneezing or during exercise or movement
• Urge-Incontinence: Also called overactive bladder; the sudden uncontrollable urge to urinate, sometimes resulting in urine loss on the way to the restroom
• Mixed Incontinence: When both stress and urge-continence conditions occur.

Click here for more information on urinary incontinence

Pelvic Organ Prolapse

This term refers to relaxation of the support structures to the pelvic organs including the top of the vagina, uterus, bladder, and rectum. Generally these conditions occur from injury to the support structures during vaginal childbirth, but may occur in patients who have not had children. Other common factors that may increase the risk of prolapse include obesity, genetics (heredity), smoking and lung disease, and prior surgeries.

Cystocele

This is a condition that occurs when there is a weakness in the ceiling of the vagina that supports the bladder. Weaknesses in the support between the bladder and vagina can occur in the middle (central cystocele), lateral vagina (paravaginal defect) or at the top (transverse defect) of the vagina.

Rectocele

This is a condition that occurs when there is a weakness in the floor of the vagina that results in the rectum bulging up into the vagina.

Uterine prolapse

This is a condition that occurs when the support of the uterus and cervix is lost, causing the descent of the uterus down the vaginal canal toward the opening of the vagina.

Enterocele

This generally occurs after a hysterectomy, when there is a weakness in the top of the vagina with small intestine pushing the top of the vagina toward the vaginal opening.

Overactive Bladder and Urge Urinary Incontinence

Women who go to the bathroom frequently, feel the urge to urinate often, and get up a lot during the night to empty their bladder may have a condition called overactive bladder (OAB). Urge urinary incontinence is the condition in which you leak urine on the way to the bathroom, usually after getting an urge. This poor control of the bladder can result in dribbling on the way to the bathroom or loss of a large and embarrassing amount of urine. The cause of poor bladder control is variable but can include aging, low estrogen status, nerve or muscle damage to the bladder, bladder stones or growths, previous bladder surgery, poor bladder emptying, or infection. more...

Stress Incontinence

Stress urinary incontinence is a condition in which small amounts of urine leak with coughing, sneezing, lifting, exercise, or other activities. This may be caused by loss of support of the bladder neck or a weak sphincter of the urethra (the bladder outlet), or a combination of both. Loss of support of the bladder neck may have be caused from injury to the support tissues, pelvic muscles, and/or nerves during childbirth, as a result of the aging process, chronic straining or coughing, or obesity. more...

Atrophic Vaginitis

Atrophic vaginitis is a medical term for inflammation and thinning of vaginal tissue (vaginitis) that occurs as a result of atrophy (deterioration or thinning) of the tissue. It is a common condition in postmenopausal women, due to estrogen deficiency. Between 10 and 40 percent of postmenopausal women have symptoms of atrophic vaginitis. The earliest symptoms tend to be decreased vaginal lubrication, followed by other vaginal and urinary symptoms that may be worsened by infection. Estrogen therapy may be administered by mouth, but also can be given directly (topically) to the vagina. Vaginal moisturizers and lubricants and participation in coitus may also improve atrophic vaginitis. more...

Fecal (Bowel) Incontinence

Fecal (also known as anal or bowel) incontinence is a socially crippling disorder that refers to the inadvertent loss (incontinence) of stool or gas. Soiling problems are embarrassing situations few people can tolerate. Unfortunately many women who suffer from the disorder do not seek treatment because of the social stigma, or because they do not know that treatment is possible. more...

Other conditions evaluated and treated by the Mountain States Urogynecology staff include:

• Recurrent incontinence or prolapse
• Voiding (urinating) disorders
• Urethral syndrome
• Interstitial cystitis
• Vulvar pain syndromes
• Urinary and rectovaginal fistulas
• Hematuria (blood in urine)
• Uterine Fibroids (“fireballs” or benign tumors of the uterus)
• Menopausal hormone management including bioidentical hormones
• Sexual dysfunction
• Pelvic pain