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Anne Arundel Medical Center

AAMC Magazine

Fall 2008

New Support for Female Incontinence, Prolapse Issues

SYMPTOMS OF INCONTINENCE
  • A strong urge to urinate whether or not the bladder is full, often with pelvic pressure
  • Voiding more often than you consider usual
  • The need to void during hours of sleep
  • Painful voiding
  • Bed-wetting or leaking while sleeping
SYMPTOMS OF PROLAPSE
  • Feeling a heavy sensation or a lump in the vagina
  • Lower back pain that is relieved when you lie down
  • Pelvic pain or pressure
  • Pain or lack of sensation during sex
SOME CAUSES OF PROLAPSE AND INCONTINENCE
  • Pregnancy (vaginal delivery and C-section)
  • Surgery
  • Radiation
  • Injuries
  • Chronic constipation
  • Heavy lifting
  • Obesity

WHAT IS THE PELVIC FLOOR?
The pelvic floor supports the bladder, intestines, and the uterus. It also maintains continence as part of the urinary and anal sphincters.
WHAT IS UROGYNECOLOGY?*
Urogynecology is a subspecialty within obstetrics and gynecology dedicated to the study and treatment of pelvic floor disorders in women, in all the various ways that it can present itself.
WHAT IS A UROGYNECOLOGIST?*
A urogynecologist is an ob-gyn with additional training and experience in the evaluation and treatment of conditions that affect the female pelvic organs and the muscles and connective tissue that support the organs.

*American Urogynecologic Society

Briana Walton, M.D.

Dr. Briana Walton is AAMC?s new urogynecologist.

Urinary Incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse—conditions in which pelvic floor muscles become weak or damaged and can no longer support the pelvic organs—affect nearly half the women in the United States between the ages of 50 and 79, according to the American Urogynecologic Society.

Yet, many women do not seek treatment because they are embarrassed to talk to their physician about symptoms such as urine leakage when they sneeze or cough, or feel heaviness or dragging in the pelvic area.

The time for that is over, said Briana Walton M.D., a fellowship-trained urogynecologist and director of Female Pelvic Medicine & Reconstructive Surgery at Anne Arundel Medical Center. Dedicated to improving the health and quality of life of women suffering from these conditions, Dr. Walton wants to dispel myths and make it comfortable for women to talk about these issues.

“Incontinence and prolapse are not a normal part of the aging process,” said Dr. Walton, who joined AAMC in July this year. “Too many women have been dealing with these conditions for years, unnecessarily. There is help.”

As a specialist in urogynecology, Dr. Walton offers patients a wide range of effective treatments that include medication, physical therapy, and surgery. After a complete evaluation of a patient, she discusses each option and prepares a care plan.

“How we treat the patient all depends on the patient’s specific condition, along with her lifestyle and goals. Fortunately, most of the procedures are minimally invasive, which gets women back home to their lives much sooner.”

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