University Hospitals Geauga Medical Center, a Campus of UH Regional Hospitals, offers innovative solutions for treating female incontinence and pelvic floor issues

By Laura Briedis

With patients traveling from large cities like New York, Los Angeles and Chicago to University Hospitals for medical treatment, it really goes to show what a special place we have here in Northeast Ohio.

And it is not just the nationally ranked cancer, cardiology and neurology fields, but also the other, lesser-known specialties in which UH physicians are leaders in innovative treatments.

One of the specialties at UH Geauga Medical Center is urogynecology and reconstructive pelvic surgery which focuses on pelvic floor disorders.

“Pelvic floor disorders basically include anything in a woman that happens between the belly button and the knees,” says David Sheyn, MD, a urogynecologist at University Hospitals Geauga Medical Center. “These issues include but not just limited to, pelvic organ prolapse, urinary incontinence, fecal incontinence, overactive bladder, pelvic pain, menstrual disorders, post-partum pelvic health and sexual dysfunction.”

“These are all common issues that affect a large part of the population,” he says. “We have many ways to treat these problems and are always researching new treatments and options.”

University Hospitals recently received a $9.1 million grant to study patient-centered outcomes, which Dr. Sheyn, along with Dr. Cecile Ferrando of the University California San Diego School of Medicine, is spearheading with 9 other centers across the country. The five-year study, which will be conducted from 2025 to 2030, will compare the Sling procedure and Urethral Bulking procedure at time of prolapse repair surgery to treat urinary incontinence.

At University Hospitals, the physicians are well versed in both of these medical procedures. While the Sling procedure, a surgical implantation of a mesh sling that creates additional support of the urethra, has been the gold standard when treating stress urinary incontinence, surgeons at University Hospitals also performs a less invasive procedure called Urethral Bulking in which Bulkamid gel bulking agent is injected into the walls of the urethra to support the closing mechanism and provide better control of urine.

“Slings work great, but they come with some uncommon complications, so we will be studying how patients do with urethral bulking compared to a sling in hopes of offering more effective treatment options for treatment of urinary incontinence during pelvic surgery,” says Dr. Sheyn, who has pub-lished more than 100 peer-reviewed research papers. “What is novel about this study is that we are not just studying objective results, which is what many traditional research studies look at, but ra-ther how patients perceive their outcome.”

University Hospitals’ Urology Institute is comprised of a research-centric staff that recognizes the importance of leading-edge research and how it benefits patients.

“This study will help us better treat patients more effectively,” says Dr. Sheyn, who on some days sees as many as 50 patients as there is a growing demand for pelvic floor disorder treatments.”

“Too many women continue to live with incontinence and pelvic floor disorders because in the past healthcare providers have not prioritized discussing and treating these conditions.. They often may not know how treatable these conditions are. After treating patients, they always remark that they wish they had not waited so long to seek treatment,” he adds. “All these leading-edge services and re-search studies are available in our community hospitals, such as Geauga Medical Center, so patients don’t have to travel far for advanced care.”

You can schedule an appointment with a urogynecologist by calling 440-285-9229. UH Geauga Medical Center is located at 13207 Ravenna Road, in Chardon.

When to Seek Care

Urinary incontinence—involuntary leaking during activities such as laughing, coughing, sneezing or exercising or with a sudden urge—affects up to 60% of women depending on age. Having an overactive bladder, which may be caused by disruption of normal faulty signaling between the bladder and the brain, creating a sensation of needing to urinate even when the bladder isn’t full, is prevalent in 30% of the U.S. population.

“What is acceptable to a patient when it comes to urinary incontinence, overactive bladder and pelvic pain is subjective,” says Dr. David Sheyn. “So what we treat is bothersome symptoms.”

If you have any of these conditions, contact UH Geauga Medical Center for treatment options:

• Urinary or bowel incontinence

• Overactive bladder

• Frequent urinary tract infections

• Pelvic or bladder pain

• Vaginal bulge or pelvic organ prolapse

Call 440-285-9229 for a consultation.