Urogynaecology is a subspecialty of gynaecology that focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of urinary incontinence and female pelvic floor disorders.
It includes the assessment, investigation, and treatment of women with urinary and faecal incontinence, female pelvic floor disorders, uterine prolapse, recurrent urinary tract infections, and bladder pain.
The main pelvic health conditions you would seek urogynaecology services include:
A urogynaecologist is a specialist who has completed training extra training in both gynaecology and urology. As they have training in both specialties, they are particularly skilled to help women with conditions that affect their pelvic floor and continence.
A urogynaecology service sees women who are experiencing pelvic floor problems. These can include leakage of urine, problems relating to an overactive bladder, painful bladder syndrome, pelvic organ prolapse (bladder, vagina, and uterus), and recurrent urinary tract disorders.
A pelvic floor is a group of muscles that support the bladder, bowel, and uterus in women. These muscles help support the spine, maintain bladder and bowel control, prevent prolapse and play an important role in sexual function. The pelvic floor can be weakened by pregnancy, childbirth, obesity, lifting and exercise that overload the pelvic muscles, menopause, ageing, chronic coughing, and the straining of chronic constipation.
A urogynaecology service can include the evaluation, diagnosis, treatment, and management of pelvic floor conditions.
Urogynaecology investigative and diagnostic tests include cystoscopy, uroflowmetry, and urodynamics.
Treatment for pelvic floor conditions include:
The occurrence of pelvic disorders is high. Yet many women endure these painful, embarrassing, or life-restricting symptoms that are too often passed off as being 'normal' features of ageing and childbirth.
Urogynaecology is important as its primary focus is on quality of life and supporting women with pelvic floor muscle problems. It is also important as it provides unique expertise in obstetrics, urology, and gynaecology and a vital link with obstetrics, urology, and colorectal services.
There are classic symptoms of a prolapsed bladder, also known as a cystocele or a dropped bladder.
These include:
The costs of a urogynaecology will depend on the investigative tests required, the condition you are diagnosed with, the exact surgery required, and your Ramsay hospital of choice.
You will receive a formal quotation price after your consultation with one of our expert urogynaecologists. This formal quote for your procedure will be valid for 60 days. You can rest assured that it includes unlimited aftercare.
We have a number of finance options if you are paying for your tests or treatments yourself. These include:
The recovery process of a urogynaecology procedure will depend on your health condition and the procedure you are having done.
If you have a flexible cystoscopy, you can go home shortly afterward and return to your normal activities including work and exercise as soon as you feel able to.
A vaginal pessary is fitted by a urogynaecologist or nurse and women don’t usually require recovery or experience pain.
Recovery from anal sphincterotomy takes roughly six weeks to fully heal. Patients return to work within a couple of weeks. Painkillers can help with pain and this should ease after a few days. Patients may worry about bowel movements which can initially cause some pain.
Pelvic organ prolapse surgery performed using open surgery can take up to six weeks to recover. If you have keyhole surgery, your recovery may be reduced to one to two weeks.
You will be invited for a follow-up appointment to check your recovery after surgery.
Urogynaecology is the care of women’s urinary incontinence and pelvic floor disorders.
At Ramsay Health Care we work with highly experienced urogynaecologists who manage a full spectrum of urogynaecological conditions. They will recommend conservative treatments such as physiotherapy where possible. Sometimes more invasive surgery is required and our specialist consultants can skilfully undertake a wide range of urogynaecology surgical procedures.
Our urogynaecologists work as part of a multidisciplinary team of specialist nurses and women's health physiotherapists to provide patients with tailored advice and support. They passionately believe that women should seek treatment for pelvic floor problems and not suffer in silence. They provide sensitive, discreet and compassionate care.
We have extensive safety measures in place to prevent infection.
A colposcopy is a minor procedure that uses a microscope to examine your cervix for signs of disease, often if cervical screening has detected abnormal cells in your cervix.
A hysteroscopy is a procedure to look at the inside of the uterus (womb) using a small telescope (hysteroscope).
A laparoscopic sterilisation is a perminanent method of female contraception involving the blocking of the fallopian tubes.
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