Urinary Problems Easily Diagnosed
There’s good news for women with problems related to the bladder. Among the many comprehensive health care services offered by Women’s Care is an in-office test known as urodynamics. This testing is used to diagnose problems such as inability to void completely, inability to hold a normal volume of urine, abnormal voiding patterns and incontinence.
Melissa Edwards, MD, is a Women’s Care gynecologist with special interest and training in urogynecology. She and Miffy Davis, RN, have expertise in urodynamics, and provide testing and evaluation for patients referred by other physicians.
Miffy Davis explains that the 45-minute test involves inserting a small catheter in the patient’s bladder. The bladder is then filled with sterile water. The catheter measures pressure and volume within the bladder as the clinician tries to provoke the type of symptoms the woman experiences. Discomfort from the catheter is generally minimal.
Dr. Edwards evaluates the printed test results, along with the patient’s voiding diary and a symptoms questionnaire, to make a diagnosis and recommendations for treatment.
Treatment options include physical therapy, medications, lifestyle changes, and surgery. Most of the problems we see are quite common and can be easily evaluated, says Dr. Edwards. And even better news is that a vast majority of these problems can be treated without surgery.
If you have incontinence or other problems related to your bladder, don’t suffer in silence. Be sure to talk with your Women’s Care physician to determine if urodynamic testing is right for you.
