Stop the Constant Bathroom Trips
Help is available to end those troubling ‘leaks’ and get your life back
Embarrassing. Inconvenient. Annoying. Even painful. These are the words used by many women to describe pelvic floor disorder, a condition that most commonly takes the form of “leaking” (urinary or fecal incontinence) or “dropped bladder” (a vaginal prolapse, or bulge, often accompanied by pressure and difficulty urinating).
Crozer-Keystone Health System’s Jose Maceda, M.D., and Laurie Kane, M.D., have a much different word that they like to use when describing the disorder: treatable.
Kane, a board-certified urogynecologist, explains, “I see so many patients come in who have been having urinary incontinence issues for years – they think it’s just part of getting older. … These women should understand that leaking urine is not normal and it is not something that they need to put up with.”
Kane adds, “Sometimes, simple lifestyle changes make a big difference. Other situations may require medication or surgery.”
If you find yourself constantly running to the bathroom or dealing with uncomfortable bladder control pads, then it makes sense to see a physician who focuses specifically on problems related to the female pelvic floor.
Jose Maceda, M.D. |
Laurie Kane, M.D. |
Maceda and Kane, both of whom are with Delaware Valley Urogynecology, recently passed the first-ever board exam in Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery (FPMRS), placing them among the nation’s first group of board-certified physicians in this growing medical subspecialty. Additionally, they have completed a rigorous, three-year fellowship, distinguishing them from other practitioners and better qualifying them to deal with both complex and routine patient cases.
Together, Maceda and Kane perform about 300 surgeries for both prolapse and incontinence each year, using the most current medical procedures.
Each case is handled with care and compassion. “Women may be embarrassed or unaware that there are treatments for these disorders,” acknowledges Maceda, who is chief of urogynecology for Crozer-Keystone Health System. “Urogynecologists are used to talking about these problems and can help.”
In addition, the importance of board certification can’t be overstated. The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) refers to studies demonstrating that “physicians who are board certified deliver higher-quality care and have better patient care outcomes than physicians who are not board certified.”
In an overwhelming majority of cases, Crozer-Keystone doctors can present patients with different treatment options, depending on their personal preferences and lifestyle.
“After being evaluated, a treatment plan will be tailored to each patient’s specific needs,” Kane says. “They will be involved in deciding the plan that is best for them.”
If patients want to be more conservative and avoid medications and surgery, physical therapy may be an option. If patients choose to have surgery for prolapse or incontinence, it can typically be minimally invasive.
And yes, urogynecology is a recognized subspecialty that is covered by most insurance plans.
For women experiencing a pelvic floor disorder, there’s nothing to be embarrassed about. Urogynecology is a recognized medical practice area, with real solutions.
“The first step,” says Kane, “is deciding that you want to take back control and bring and end to bladder problems.
HOW TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT
Delaware Valley Urogynecology offers four locations to make care convenient and accessible:
SPRINGFIELD
Healthplex Pavilion 1 at Springfield Hospital
196 W. Sproul Road, Suite 208
Springfield, PA 19064
UPLAND
Crozer-Chester Medical Center
One Medical Center Boulevard, Suite 240
Upland, PA 19013
GLEN MILLS
Crozer Medical Plaza at Brinton Lake
300 Evergreen Drive, Suite 170
Glen Mills, PA 19342
DREXEL HILL
Delaware County Memorial Hospital
2100 Keystone Avenue, Suite 705
Drexel Hill, PA 19026
For more information or to schedule an appointment:
Call 610-338-1810 or go online to ckpelvicfloormedicine.crozerkeystone.org.
