Pelvic floor disorders

• Urinary incontinence is when your bladder has problems storing urine. This causes you to leak. You may feel an abnormal urgency to go to the bathroom or be unable to hold your urine.
• Stress incontinence is when pressure causes your bladder to leak. This can happen when you cough, sneeze, laugh or do physical activity. Stress incontinence is the most common reason for bladder leaking. Stress incontinence does not happen at night, unless your condition is severe.
• Urge incontinence is when your bladder leaks when you have a strong urge to pee. It can also occur when you are trying to reach the bathroom. This might cause the whole bladder to empty suddenly and without control. Urge incontinence can happen at night and keep you awake.
• Obstructed urinary voiding is when your bladder has problems emptying.

Learn more

Prolapse is when your pelvic organs sag down. This can happen when your pelvic floor is weaker than normal.

• Cystocele is when your bladder sags into your vagina. It can impact how well your bladder holds and empties urine.
• Rectocele is when your rectum sags onto your vaginal wall. It impacts your bowel function. It can cause you to have difficulty passing stool or leak stool.
• Uterine prolapse impacts your uterus. It can cause vaginal heaviness and put pressure on your bladder and bowel. You may also experience bleeding or significant discomfort when sitting or exercising.

Prolapse often affects many organs and impacts sexual function. This can lead to pain during sex, decreased sensation or lack of sex drive.

Many women with prolapse do not experience symptoms. Most women have minor forms of prolapse that may not progress. For some women, prolapse causes discomfort and impacts how their organs function.

Learn more

Anal incontinence is when the bowels leak. You may pass stool or gas without control. This can happen if the muscles of the pelvic floor are injured.

The best way to prevent anal incontinence is perineal protection at childbirth. Treatment begins with pelvic health physiotherapy. Dietary modifications and medicines can also be helpful. Surgery is the last resort as the risk of complications is higher, and it is often unsuccessful.

Learn more

Fistulas are abnormal connections, or holes, between pelvic organs. Childbirth trauma, pelvic surgery, pelvic radiation for cancer or pelvic infections cause fistulas.

Some common fistulas are:

• Vesicovaginal - this involves the bladder and vagina.
• Vesicouterine - this involves the bladder and uterus.
• Vesicocervical - this involves the bladder and cervix.
• Rectovaginal - this involves the rectum and vagina.

Sometimes, pelvic floor muscles tense up when they are injured.

Pelvic floor disorders can make pelvic floor muscles spasm — similar to how bad posture can cause neck pain. This leads to pelvic pain, pressure or difficulty with sexual activities.

Painful bladder syndrome, also known as interstitial cystitis, is a chronic bladder disorder. It involves pelvic pain and problems peeing, including with urgency and frequency.

Sometimes, pelvic floor disorders can impact sexual desire, arousal and orgasm.

Sexual intimacy is a fundamental aspect of human experience. For many people, its absence impacts quality of life and mental health.

Normal sexual function includes sexual desire, as well as the ability to be aroused and orgasm. These elements depend on both psychological and physical factors.

Treating pelvic floor disorders can improve sexual dysfunction.

These tests look at how well your bladder, sphincter and urethra store and release urine. Learn more with the International Urogynecological Association’s leaflet on  urodynamics.

This procedure allows a physician to examine the inside of your bladder and urethra. Learn more with the International Urogynecological Association’s leaflet on  cystoscopy.

An ultrasound is an imaging test use sound waves to create images of your internal organs and tissues. Common ultrasounds include endoanal ultrasounds (looking at the rectum and anus). They also include transvaginal ultrasounds (looking at the uterus, ovaries, cervix and pelvis).

This test examines how well the muscles in your anus and rectum work. We insert a thin catheter tube with a balloon into your anus and instruct you to squeeze and relax your muscles. We also inflate the balloon to mimic a bowel movement and see how your muscles respond.

Magnetic resonance imaging, also known as MRI. This test uses radiofrequency waves to create three-dimensional images of the inside of your body.

Biopsies take a tissue sample from your body and send it for laboratory testing. Types of biopsies for pelvic floor disorders include vulvar, vaginal, cervical and uterine. These biopsies are often performed at the Minor Surgery Clinic or Colposcopy Clinic.

• Prolapse surgery, with or without hysterectomy (removal of the uterus). This is done through vaginal, laparoscopic or open abdominal approaches.
• Combined procedures.

• Pelvic floor supports. These may be synthetic mesh slings or fascial slings made from your tissue.
• Sphincter repair surgery, also known as sphincteroplasty, to repair your injured sphincter muscles.
• Surgical closures of holes (fistulas) in your pelvic floor.
• Mesh removal surgery.

Nutritional services offers specialized care for individuals whose health conditions, injury or surgeries require specific dietary adjustments to manage symptoms. They also offer nutrition counseling for people looking to enhance their overall health and wellness.

Learn more

To help with communicating with your health care team, we offer interpretation services 24-hours-a-day. Please ask your care team to place a request if you need an interpreter including a sign language interpreter.

Learn more

Physiotherapists (PTs) are experts in movement. They work closely with your care team to improve your overall health and function. Using their knowledge of the body, PTs help you improve your mobility, reduce pain, and build strength.

Learn more

Our psychology services can provide emotional support to patients who may need help coping with their condition and its treatment.

Learn more

Our social work team helps patients and their families by providing emotional support and connecting them to helpful resources and services. This team can also assist in planning for the future, advocate for patients' needs, and help with practical concerns like finances and social support.

Learn more

We offer pastoral care services to support you and your loved ones. Our professional staff, including chaplains from different faiths, are here to accompany you, provide counseling, and create spaces for reflection, prayer, and meditation.

Learn more

We strive to offer you the best and most compassionate care possible. If we succeed, please let us know. If we fall short of our goal “How you want to be treated,” please also let us know.

Learn more