The Future of Female Pelvic Health: A Webinar Presented by the Chair of Urology at Weill Cornell Medicine
Dr. Larissa Rodríguez, Chair of Urology at Weill Cornell Medicine and Urologist-in-Chief at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and Weill Cornell Medical Center, recently presented a webinar for patients on the topic of female pelvic health.
Covering a range of conditions, risk factors and treatments, the webinar offers both hope and practical solutions to women, many of whom consider their pelvic complaints too personal or embarrassing to discuss with their doctor—or even with their family and friends.
Armed with the information provided in the webinar, women will be able to chart a way forward by making an appointment at the Center for Female Pelvic Health at Weill Cornell Medicine, where they can meet with a compassionate provider and find the help they need.
See the following 8 takeaway points from the webinar:
- The pelvic floor is a set of muscles that hold a woman’s pelvic organs in place. These include the bladder, uterus and rectum.
- Caused by weakness in the pelvic floor, pelvic floor disorders include pelvic organ prolapse, a condition in which a woman’s pelvic organs fall into the vagina; overactive bladder; stress urinary incontinence; and fecal incontinence (accidental bowel leakage).
- The most important risk factors for these disorders are older age and vaginal delivery.
- Pelvic floor disorders can affect a woman’s quality of life at home, at work, and in every other domain.
- Urinary incontinence is not part of “normal” aging.
- There are two kinds of urinary incontinence: stress incontinence and urge incontinence. With stress incontinence, you may lose a little urine when you cough, laugh, sneeze, lift something heavy or exercise. Urge incontinence, also called overactive bladder, is more unpredictable, involving both frequency and urgency.
- Treatments range from behavioral therapy to physical therapy, medications, minimally invasive procedures and surgery for more serious and persistent problems.
- At the Center for Female Pelvic Health, you’ll receive comprehensive care for prolapse, urinary and bowel incontinence, recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs), bladder pain and vaginal mesh complications, among other conditions.