Doctors known as urogynecologists, or urogyns, get special training for diagnosing and treating women who have pelvic floor disorders. Even with your primary care physician, OB/GYN, or urologist having knowledge of these conditions, a urogyn has more expertise. Ask your physician for a referral to a urogyn if you are having issues with prolapse, or fecal or urinary incontinence. Also, if you have difficulty emptying your bladder or bowel, or if you have any kind of pelvic or bladder pain, a urogyn can help.
Defining a Urogynecologist
Urogynecologists finish medical school as well as an Obstetrics and Gynecology or Urology residency program. These physicians are specialists who had extensive training and experience in assessing and treating conditions involving the female pelvic organs, including the muscles and connective tissue within and around them. Many urogynecologists complete formal fellowships (more training following residency) that concentrate on treating non-cancerous gynecologic issues with or without surgery. Some of the usual problems a urogynecologist deals with are pelvic organ prolapse (for example, when the vagina or uterus drops), an overactive bladder, and urinary leakage.
Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery
The American Board of Medical Specialties certified Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery, otherwise called urogynecology, as a medical subspecialty in 2011; after two years, the first set of urogyns in the U. As one of the requirements of keeping their status as certified urogyns, these physicians engage in continuing education to keep their knowledge up to date.
Board Certified Urogynecologist or Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgeon
When a doctor has board certification in Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery, that means he has passed the American Board of Obstetrics & Gynecology (ABOG) and the American Board of Urology (ABU) examinations. Or it could mean passing exams administered by the American Osteopathic Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology (AOBOG) and the American Osteopathic Association (AOA). Whatever the case, board certification is your only assurance that the physician is a tried and true urogynecology specialist.
The first board certification exams by the ABOG/ABU were conducted in 2013. Doctors who finished their training after 2012 usually participated in an accredited fellowship as a requirement board exam eligibility. As stated earlier, the AOA/AOBOG conducted their first certification exams in urogynecology just a year prior to the first ABOG/ABU exams.
As always, never hesitate to ask about a urogynecologist’s training and expertise before deciding to enter their care. There may be several equally credentialed urogynecologists nowadays, but keep in mind that these doctors will always have nuances that you have to know before signing up as a patient. Come up with a shortlist of prospects and dig up some information online about each of them. This can go a long way in finding a urogynecologist who is not only competent but will also treat you a person instead of just a case.
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