Conditions

We Treat

From routine care of the female body to hormone changes and structural changes in the female anatomy.

We see it all and we are ready to help. 

 

 

Pelvic Health refers to the part of a woman’s anatomy that includes the vagina, the pelvis, the uterus, the bladder and the rectum. 

All of these parts of the body work together to create “pelvic health”. If one part of the pelvic system is not working properly problems can begin and medical treatment may be necessary. 

Here is a list of some of the routine issues we treat. There may be other things we do that are not listed here as some treatments are less common. 

Female Incontinence -loss of bladder or bowel control. You may lose urine when you laugh, cough, sneeze and/or experience fecal incontinence.

Overactive Bladder Syndrome-Urinary Frequency, Urgency and nighttime voiding. You may find yourself getting up often in the night to go to the bathroom or you may have a sudden, strong urge to urinate.

Pelvic Pain– a discomfort, burning or spasm within the bladder, urethra, or vagina

Sexual Dysfunction – decreased vaginal sensation during intercourse, or pain with intercourse.

Menopause-see “Menopause” section of the website.

Menstrual Disorders–  a physical or emotional problem that interferes with the normal menstrual cycle, possibly causing pain, unusually heavy or light bleeding, delayed menarche, or missed periods.

Ovarian Cysts– A collection of fluid, surrounded by a very thin wall, within an ovary.

Contraception (birth control) prevents pregnancy by interfering with the normal process of ovulation, fertilization, and implantation. There are different kinds of birth control that act at different points in the process.

 

Types of Pelvic Prolapse:

  • Pelvic Organ Prolapse – Displacement of the pelvic organs such as the uterus, bladder, and rectum-beyond the normal position of the vaginal walls)
  • Vaginal prolapse is one of the most common conditions of pelvic health that is treated in our practice.  Vaginal prolapse involves the lack of support to either the uterus, bladder, rectum or intestines, or a combination thereof.  When the pelvic support is poor these structures will fall into the vagina and outside of the body, creating a bulge similar to a hernia. Sometimes these bulges are problematic while other times the person may be unaware of their presence. Treatment plans are based on a patients amount of upset with this problem-they are usually not emergent or life threatening.

Common terminology used when describing location of the vaginal wall prolapse;

  • Cystocoele– A dropped bladder
  • Rectocoele– A dropped rectum
  • Enterocoele– Dropped intestines

The causes of these conditions are unknown. Prolapse can be associated with childbirth, chronic lifting and straining, smoking, previous surgery, obesity, or even hereditary factors.

When “the bulge” (prolapse) becomes problematic, treatment options range from conservative use of a pessary (diaphram like device placed in the vagina to hold up the “bulge”) to a minimally invasive surgical repair of the vaginal structures involved.

Specialties

Dr. Barbara Plucknett is the owner and operator of her Gynecology practice in Scranton, PA. She is a skilled surgeon as well as an innovative urogynecologist (a gynecologist with specialty training of the bladder and pelvic region).

Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy

Robotic Surgery

Managing Menopause

Holistic Gynecology