Expert Care for Pelvic Floor Disorders
Saint Peter's University Hospital offers comprehensive urogynecology services for the diagnosis and treatment of pelvic floor disorders in women. Our renowned urogynecology program is led by Michael Vardy, MD, an accomplished surgeon and specialist in female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery. Dr. Vardy brings over 20 years of experience in treating the full spectrum of pelvic floor conditions. As the chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, he aims to enhance Saint Peter's continuum of women's health services with top-tier urogynecologic and pelvic reconstructive care.
If you are experiencing symptoms of a urogynecologic or pelvic floor condition, Saint Peter's can help restore your quality of life. Request an appointment by calling 732.339.7622.
What is Urogynecology?
Urogynecology is a subspecialty of obstetrics and gynecology focused on diagnosing and treating disorders affecting the pelvic floor in women. This includes conditions such as:
- Urinary incontinence
- Urge incontinence ("overactive bladder," feeling that you have to go, often large leakage)
- Stress incontinence (cough-leak, sneeze leak - often a quick squirt of leakage)
- Pelvic organ prolapse, including:
- Dropped bladder (Cystocele)
- Dropped rectum (Rectocele)
- Dropped uterus (Uterine prolapse, sometimes called procidentia)
- Enterocele (bowel prolapse through a vaginal defect, often after hysterectomy)
- Fibroids
- Pelvic and or vaginal pain
- Fecal incontinence
Our urogynecologists have extensive experience in evaluating these conditions and developing personalized treatment plans using the latest medical and surgical techniques.
Pelvic Reconstructive Surgery and Medical Treatment Options
A major component of urogynecology involves pelvic reconstructive surgery to correct anatomic defects in the pelvic area and restore normal function. Saint Peter's offers a full range of reconstructive procedures and medical treatment options, including:
- Prolapse surgery
- State-of-the-art robotic surgery through the da Vinci® Surgical System, which is the best option for bladder prolapse repair, rectocele and uterine prolapse
- Procedures for stress urinary incontinence (cough-leak, sneeze leak, etc.)
- Slingplasty, considered the "gold standard" of treatment
- Periurethral injectable (non-surgical treatment)
- Pelvic floor physical therapy
- Urge incontinence
- Medical therapy
- Sacral nerve stimulation/tibial nerve stimulation
- Botox
- Minimally invasive laparoscopic vaginal and abdominal approaches
Our surgeons use advanced approaches whenever possible to minimize pain, scarring and recovery time for patients.
Multidisciplinary Pelvic Health Care
In addition to our urogynecology experts, Saint Peter's has an experienced team of specialists in colorectal surgery, gastroenterology, urology and physical therapy and other disciplines. This allows us to provide comprehensive, multidisciplinary care for even the most complex pelvic floor disorders.
Pelvic floor rehabilitation is a specialized aspect of physical therapy which treats those suffering from pelvic floor dysfunction. Saint Peter's specially trained pelvic floor physical therapists treat:
- Urinary and fecal incontinence
- Increased urinary frequency/overactive bladder
- Dyspareunia (painful intercourse)
- Vulvar pain syndromes
- Separated pubic symphysis
- Some forms of constipation
- Post-surgical conditions –pelvic organ surgery, perineal lacerations/scarring, abdominal surgery, C-section pain/scarring
- Pregnancy-related pain or instability/weakness
Services are located at Saint Peter's Health and Wellness Center in Somerset. Call 732.565.5455 for more information or to make an appointment. A prescription from your doctor is required for physical therapy services and a referral may be necessary.