Urogynecology

Your care begins with a comprehensive evaluation, which may include:

Cystoscopy: Uses a thin lighted tube to examine your bladder and urethra.

Urodynamics studies: Show how your body holds and releases urine.

In most cases, your doctor will try conservative, non-surgical treatments first. Depending on your condition, your care plan may include:

Botox® injections: Relax your bladder muscles to treat overactive bladder.

Medications: Treat some types of incontinence.

Pelvic floor physical therapy: Uses therapy, exercises and other techniques to improve pelvic floor control, strength, and function.

Percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS): Sends mild electrical pulses to your tibial nerve to treat overactive bladder.

Pessary: A ring-shaped, soft, and flexible prosthetic device inserted into the vagina to support your pelvic organs (uterus, bladder, and rectum).

Urethral bulking: Injects a special material into the walls of your urethra to treat some types of incontinence.

If non-surgical treatments don’t relieve your symptoms, your doctor may recommend surgery to restore comfort and function. Trust a team experienced in:

Sacral nerve stimulation (Interstim®): Implants a device that sends mild electrical signals to the nerve that affects your bladder, bowel, and pelvic floor to treat urinary or fecal incontinence.

Pelvic reconstructive surgery: Restores or repairs a damaged pelvic floor.

Hysterectomy: Hysterectomy removes the uterus, and sometimes also the fallopian tubes and ovaries.

Sling surgery: Places strips of mesh or your own tissue under your urethra or part of your bladder to treat certain types of incontinence.

Minimally invasive options

Whenever possible, your Corewell Health urogynecologist uses less-invasive techniques to treat you. Your doctor may recommend one of the following approaches:

Laparoscopic surgery: Your doctor uses very small incisions, specialized instruments, and a tiny camera.

Robot-assisted surgery: Your doctor controls robotic arms that can bend and rotate with more dexterity than the human hand to perform laparoscopic surgery.

Vaginal surgery: Your doctor accesses your cervix or uterus through your vagina.

When your surgeon uses minimally invasive techniques, you’ll benefit from less pain, smaller scars, and a quicker recovery.