Urogynecology and Pelvic Floor Disorders

Joseph Schaffer, M.D., Medical Director of the Urogynecology and Pelvic Floor Disorders Program

Childbirth puts women at risk for pelvic floor disorders, such as urinary or fecal incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse. More than 20 percent of women suffer from incontinence or overactive bladder in silence and embarrassment, not knowing where to turn for help.

UT Southwestern Medical Center has one of the largest divisions of urogynecology in the country. We offer our patients a full range of surgical and nonsurgical treatments for urinary and pelvic floor conditions such as pelvic organ prolapse, incontinence, voiding dysfunction, constipation, interstitial cystitis, urinary tract infection, pelvic pain, and sexual dysfunction.

Treatments

Our urodynamics laboratory provides a comprehensive array of diagnostic studies to determine the cause of urinary and fecal incontinence and other pelvic floor disorders. Once a diagnosis has been made, we offer the latest surgical and nonsurgical treatment options.

Our program’s nonsurgical services include:

  • Biofeedback
  • Counseling
  • Electrical stimulation
  • Medications
  • Pessary therapy (vaginal support device)
  • Physical therapy

Our program’s surgical options include:

  • Collagen injections
  • InterStim (a nerve-stimulating device that helps control overactive bladder, fecal incontinence, and urinary retention)
  • Vaginal, abdominal, or laparoscopic repair of pelvic structures

Our patients also have access to research treatment protocols developed by the National Institutes of Health's Pelvic Floor Disorders Network as well as the Urinary Incontinence Treatment Network.