Gynecology & Pelvic Health

Pelvic health disorders affect nearly a quarter of all women in the United States. And, as we age, these conditions become more and more common. Chances are you know someone who is currently dealing with a pelvic or reproductive health problem, whether it’s frequent urination, infertility due to endometriosis or uncontrollable menstrual bleeding.

As any woman challenged with a pelvic health disorder knows, these issues can affect your quality of life and your overall reproductive health. Excessive bleeding and urinary incontinence can make going out in public a nightmare. Endometriosis can make it difficult to get pregnant. And many pelvic conditions are not just inconvenient — they are cripplingly painful and can lead to a host of other medical problems if left untreated.

Types of pelvic conditions

Most problems related to the muscles, ligaments and connective tissues that support the pelvic organs or pelvic floor including the bladder, vagina, uterus and rectum can be addressed in our program. More specifically the program focuses on treating the following issues:

• Abnormal menstrual periods
• Abnormal pap smears
• Endometriosis
• Family planning and preconception counseling
• Fibroids
• Menopause
• Ovarian masses
• Pelvic pain
• Sexually transmitted diseases
• Urinary tract Infections
• Uterine bleeding
• Vaginitis
• Vulvar abnormalities

Treatment of pelvic conditions

At Adventist Health St. Helena Women’s Center, our pelvic health multidisciplinary team works with you to understand how pelvic issues are affecting you medically and emotionally. Our goal is to provide a care plan that blends traditional medicine with treatment options across a spectrum of services. We provide comprehensive evaluation and treatment of pelvic pain that may be caused by fibroids, endometriosis or organ prolapse. We also evaluate and treat incontinence disorders. Interventions may include physical therapy, pelvic ultrasounds and surgery, as well as an educational and fitness-oriented pelvic health program.

Surgical solutions

Many urinary or pelvic floor disorders can be managed without surgery, but there are still times when surgery is the best — or only — option. Surgery remains the most effective treatment for a range of pelvic conditions, including:

• Uterine fibroids
• Endometriosis
• Uterine prolapse
• Menorrhagia
• Excessive bleeding
• Urinary stress incontinence
• Cancers of the cervix, uterus, ovaries and fallopian tubes

Our team of experts excels at the treatment of urinary and pelvic floor disorders. Wherever possible they rely on advanced laparoscopic and techniques that can offer a minimally invasive option. This can result in less scarring and a quicker recovery.