to lower your risk by strengthening your pelvic floor muscles and staying at a healthy weight throughout your adult life. Common causes include: • Aging: natural muscle loss and hormone changes • Constant straining: from coughing, constipation or heavy lifting • Extra weight: increases pressure on pelvic floor muscles • Past pelvic surgeries: can affect support structures Modern, local treatments The good news is that living with pelvic floor problems is not your only choice. You don’t have to put up with it or let it control your life. Joseph W. Semien Jr., MD, FACOG, and the team at Lake Charles Memorial Hospital for Women offer advanced, often less-invasive, solutions designed to fix these issues and help you regain comfort and quality of life right here in southwest Louisiana. While surgery isn’t always the first step, if it’s needed, Dr. Semien performs procedures to support and help rebuild the pelvic floor and fix bladder control problems. This includes: • Laparoscopic pelvic prolapse surgery. A “keyhole” surgery to lift and support dropped organs. • Bladder sling procedures. A small sling is placed under the urethra (the tube that carries urine out of the body) to support it, helping to stop leaks. This is considered the best standard treatment for this condition. • Minimally invasive hysterectomy. A less-invasive way to remove the womb, when necessary. • Vaginal wall repair (cystocele/ rectocele). Fixing weakness in the vaginal wall. • Pelvic floor strengthening evaluations and solutions. Customized plans to help strengthen these vital muscles. Less-invasive treatments are available for: • When the uterus or vagina drops (prolapse) • Leaking urine • Feeling pressure in the pelvis or a bulge in the vagina • Frequent or urgent need to urinate • Weaknesses and discomfort in the pelvic floor Your path to comfort starts here If you start to experience unwanted symptoms or discomfort, it’s important to get a proper checkup to find out what’s causing the issue. Through years of training, he has had the honor of helping his patients live life without the trouble of bladder control issues. Leaking urine when you cough, sneeze, laugh or exercise Discomfort or pain during intercourse Difficulty having bowel movements Pelvic pressure or bulge that can feel like heaviness, fullness or like something is “falling out” of your pelvic area Pelvic pain or discomfort Sudden or frequent urge to urinate lcmh.com 17 We’re here to help! Call 337-245-0081 to schedule an appointment or scan the QR code to see how our team can help. Are you experiencing these symptoms? PFD can show up in many ways. You might recognize some, while others might surprise you:
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