A Seat on the Aisle, Please!

by Kavaler, Elizabeth, M.D.

• ISBN13: 9780387955094
• ISBN10: 0387955097
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2006-06-30
• Publisher: Copernicus Books

Summary

In the course of a lifetime, more than half of all women will experience some form of debilitating pelvic disease or discomfort, including chronic urinary tract infections, various kinds of incontinence, pelvic floor prolapse, and interstitial cystitis. Surprisingly, until recently there has been only scant attention paid to this very common group of disorders, considering the vast population of sufferers. What's more, doctors have long tended to dismiss many symptoms of urinary tract disorders as an inevitable consequence of the aging process or, worse still, as indicators of underlying psychological disease. In this concise, clearly written, and sympathetic new book, Elizabeth Kavaler suggests that a new approach to UT disorders is long overdue. One of the surprisingly small number of female urologists practicing in the U.S., Dr. Kavaler explains what these diseases are and what patients can do to get themselves diagnosed and treated properly. But more than that, she extends an expert, sympathetic, and skilled hand to those who've been distressed, isolated, and embarrassed for too long.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	vii
Introduction	xi
THE BASICS
CHAPTER 1 The Nuts and Bolts of the Female Pelvis: Normal Anatomy and Physiology	3	(12)
CHAPTER 2 What Can Go Wrong? Pelvic-Floor Problems: Symptoms and Solutions	15	(30)
CHAPTER 3 Picking a Doctor: Gynecology versus Urology: Who Treats Bladder Problems?	45	(18)
URINARY LEAKAGE AND INCONTINENCE
CHAPTER 4 Stress Urinary Incontinence	63	(38)
CHAPTER 5 Urinary Urge Incontinence: Overactive Bladder Syndrome	101	(30)
CHAPTER 6 The Golden Years: Incontinence in the Elderly	131	(46)
DROPPED ORGANS: PELVIC-FLOOR PROLAPSE
CHAPTER 7 Pelvic-Floor Prolapse	177	(48)
THE PAINFUL BLADDER
CHAPTER 8 Urinary Tract Infections	225	(46)
CHAPTER 9 Interstitial Cystitis and Pelvic Pain Syndromes	271	(40)
RELATED ISSUES
CHAPTER 10 Menopause, Hormones, and the Development of Female Pelvic Problems	311	(24)
CHAPTER 11 Anesthesia for Surgery and a Crash Course in Pain Medications	335	(20)
CHAPTER 12 A Visit to the Urologist's Office: Definitions and Explanations of the Diagnostic Procedures	355	(26)
CHAPTER 13 Safety in Numbers: The Epidemiology of Urinary Incontinence	381	(10)
Glossary	391	(6)
Index	397