Division of Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery & Urogynecology

Message from the Chief

The Division of Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery and Pelvic Floor provides state of the art diagnostic and therapeutic options for the full spectrum of urogynecologic conditions including urinary incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, painful bladder syndromes and birth defects of the genital tract.

One of the most common types of urinary incontinence is stress incontinence, which can be due to a weakness of the pelvic floor muscles or a problem with the urethral sphincter, the muscle that helps hold or release urine. A simple way to describe stress incontinence is a urine leak during physical activity or when you sneeze or laugh.

Women experience urinary incontinence five times as often as men. That is due to the physical stresses of pregnancy and childbirth, changes in the quality of pelvic tissues, and the structure of the female urinary tract. Both men and women also can become incontinent due to neurological injury, birth defects, strokes, multiple sclerosis, or previous pelvic surgeries.

There are a variety of treatment options for urinary incontinence, including exercise, physical therapy, and surgery. If surgery is required, there are minimally invasive procedures that allow a woman to get back to her active life sooner. One of the latest developments is the tension-free suburethral sling, a thin piece of mesh inserted to support the urethra.

For some patients, the problem can be resolved with a simple office procedure in which the urethral sphincter is strengthened with injections of special bulking agents that increase the resistance in the urethra.

There are many options available for all types of urinary incontinence.

The faculty is available for services at RWJUH as well as to assist physicians in area hospitals.

We offer the following services:

• Pelvic Floor & Incontinence Program
• Minimally invasive surgery
• Urogynecologic service

Juana Hutchinson-Colas, MD, MBA
Associate Professor, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences
Chief, Division of Female Pelvic Medicine & Reconstructive Surgery