Our nurse practitioners, for example, are very experienced with all of our evaluation and treatment protocols and have time for extensive patient education. They are ideal for dealing with problems of short duration or flare-ups of chronic problems. When potentially serious problems are present, our urologists will use cystoscopy or other state of the art diagnostic tools to pinpoint the diagnosis when possible, rule out serious underlying problems, and identify the most appropriate treatments. Surgery or not Our approach to the evaluation and management of women's urologic problems begins with an understanding that most symptoms are related to malfunctioning of the nerves and muscles in the pelvis and poor bladder habits. Appropriate management may be nonsurgical, surgical, or both.
Most women get better without invasive evaluations or surgical procedures.
We also have a network of professionals experienced in pelvic muscle rehabilitation, biofeedback, and continence training to whom we refer patients. Our program offers a full spectrum of surgical procedures for women who do not respond to conservative management, choose surgery as their primary treatment, or whose only option is surgery. The Women's Urologic Care team works very hard to choose the correct operation for each patient. Each woman's situation is thoroughly evaluated prior to surgery to ensure that the appropriate technique is chosen. Easy access to needed medical or surgical services Access to the most advanced clinical research findings and technology through University of Washington Medical Center.