Pelvic floor dysfunction is a common problem in Hong Kong as well as worldwide. The common problems include urinary incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse and faecal incontinence. Stress urinary incontinence, urge urinary incontinence or mixed urinary incontinence are some types of urinary incontinence. Cystocele and/or uterine prolapse/vaginal vault prolapse and/or rectocele are different types of pelvic organ prolapse. Women may have concomitant problems and they may experience a wide range of symptoms with significant influence on their quality of life. Complications may arise if prolapse is left untreated including abnormal per vaginal bleeding, ulcer or even hydronephrosis.

Our team offers comprehensive evaluation and treatment for female pelvic floor dysfunction.

Evaluation 
According to the symptoms of women, different types of evaluation will be offered. Facilities for evaluation of female floor dysfunction include the followings:

Urodynamics Laboratory:

• Uroflowmetry
• Cystometry
• Ano-rectal manometry
• Cysto-urethroscopy

Ultrasound Imaging:

• Perineal ultrasound
• Endoanal ultrasound

The team provides a number of treatments for female pelvic floor dysfunction.

Urinary incontinence

Urinary symptoms and bladder diary of women will be reviewed. Continence advisors will educate and counsel women on life-style modification, if needed; and pelvic floor muscle training.

For women with overactive bladder syndrome, medical therapy may be offered.

For women confirmed urinary stress incontinence, continent surgery, in terms of transobturator tension free transvaginal tape surgery or colposuspension may be offered to them.

Pelvic organ prolapse

A variety of therapeutic options are available, starting from non-surgical treatment of pelvic floor muscle training, support devices of vaginal pessaries, and surgical therapy.

Vaginal pessary: Generally, this is provided for women with mild prolapse or while women are waiting for surgery. If women are well on this treatment, self-replacement is encouraged and appropriate technique will be taught.

Different surgical approaches are provided.

Vaginal surgery:

• Vaginal hysterectomy and/or pelvic floor repair surgery
• Vaginal mesh repair surgery

Laparoscopic surgery:

• Laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy for vaginal vault prolapse
• Laparoscopic hysterocolposacropexy (uterine preserving) for uterine prolapse

Concomitant continent surgery may be performed in women with co-existing urinary stress incontinence.

Specialist continence advisors are an invaluable source of practical advice for all continence problems. Continence Advisors are nurses with expertise in providing continence care and conservative management for pelvic organ prolapse. Some of the services_ provided by the Continence Advisors include:

• Counseling and education
• Pelvic floor muscle training
• Behavioural modification
• Clean intermittent self catheterization
• Bladder training
• Biofeedback
• Vaginal ring pessary replacement
• Teaching vaginal ring pessary self-replacement