Pelvic floor health clinic delivers cutting-edge individualized care

Lisa Hickman, MD, assistant professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology

The Ohio State University College of Medicine has a message for the approximately one in four women in the United States with pelvic floor disorders: You do not have to suffer with pain. Ohio State has a group of specially trained faculty that deliver cutting-edge and innovative therapies designed to treat individual patients across the entire spectrum of pelvic floor dysfunction.

Pelvic floor disorders result when the muscles and connective tissues within the pelvic cavity weaken or are injured. The damage can result in lasting complex vaginal, urinary, bowel and pain problems.

Lisa Hickman, MD, assistant professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at The Ohio State University College of Medicine and director of the Childbirth Pelvic Floor Disorders Clinic at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, says while many women chalk up their problems to having children or getting older and think nothing can be done, there are many minimally invasive interventions and surgical techniques available.

“The Ohio State University is one of the few locations in the nation offering collaborative, multidisciplinary care for pregnant and postpartum women with pelvic floor symptoms,” says Dr. Hickman. “Bringing this level of patient-centered care to women is so exciting and rewarding.”

Dr. Hickman works alongside Andrew Hundley, MD, associate professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Silpa Nekkanti, MD, assistant professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, at the College of Medicine, to deliver specialized care, including uterine-sparing surgical procedures.

“This is not cookie-cutter medicine,” says Dr. Hundley. “We evaluate each patient, their complaints and concerns related to quality of life and then come up with a care plan that allows them to achieve their goals in a way that is consistent with how they approach their own health care.”

Treatment may involve behavioral therapies and exercises to strengthen muscles. It can include both nonsurgical and surgical approaches to correcting anatomy. The team employs some of the newest therapies available, including office-based procedures for urinary incontinence and using Botox injections into the bladder, vaginal laser therapy, nerve stimulation and medical management.

“The goal is always to minimize risk and maximize speed of return to normal function,” says Dr. Nekkanti. “And to get patients back to doing what they love without embarrassment or pain.”

In 2021, Ohio State opened the new Childbirth Pelvic Floor Disorders Clinic, which provides specialized care during pregnancy and postpartum, prior to the traditional four to six week visit for women who experience severe tears during delivery or pelvic floor disorders during or after pregnancy. Patients have access to pelvic floor physical therapists, nurses, advanced practice providers and other specialists who provide a structured means for receiving specialized treatment. They can also receive ongoing counseling and education on their condition.