Pelvic Medicine and Genitourinary Reconstructive Surgery
The study of pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery encompasses use of medical treatment and surgical intervention to restore form and function to the pelvic floor/genitourinary tract. It brings together knowledge and expertise from a diverse set of disciplines including urology, benign urology, gynecology, neurology, and colorectal surgery to address pelvic floor disorders, neurogenic bladder, urethral stricture disease, and complex voiding dysfunction.
Physicians in this specialty are comprised of both urologists and urogynecologists. These providers treat patients with a wide diversity of processes adversely impacting the pelvic floor, including but not limited to the after-effects of treatment for cancer (i.e, surgery and radiation), spinal cord injuries, trauma, and aging (i.e. pelvic organ prolapse, urinary incontinence, and fecal incontinence).
City of Hope is unique among most medical centers in the region in that is brings together specialists from all aspects of this unique specialty, utilizing a wide variety of treatment modalities (i.e., pelvic floor physical therapy, tissue grafts, native tissue repairs, and robotic surgery), to provide the most complex patients opportunities to improve the quality of their lives. Not uncommonly, pelvic floor reconstructions can be performed at the same time as surgical removal of malignancies, reducing/eliminating the need for multiple operations.