Pelvic Health
At Holy Cross Healthy is what we do...Let’s Make It Happen!
We Treat Pelvic Floor Dysfunction Through Evidence-Based, Personalized Planning to Restore Your Quality of Life
If you are living with pelvic floor disorders including pelvic pain, prolapse or incontinence, the pelvic health experts at Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring and Holy Cross Hospital in Germantown are here to help you. Our team of pelvic floor specialists understands that pelvic floor dysfunction can be life altering.
We work with each patient to diagnose their condition and develop an evidence-based, personalized plan of care to restore function and quality of life.
Clinical Awards and Recognitions
- 2022 Gynecologic Surgery Excellence Award™ from Healthgrades
- Holy Cross Hospital is designated a Center of Excellence in Minimally Invasive Gynecology (COEMIG) by the Surgical Review Corporation (SRC)
- 2022 Healthgrades America’s 100 Best Hospitals Award™ for two years in a row. This places Holy Cross Hospital among the top two percent of all hospitals for clinical care and patient outcomes across treatment of the most common conditions and procedures. Holy Cross Hospital is one of only five hospitals in Maryland to be recognized as one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals, and the only recipient in Montgomery County, Maryland
Conditions That We Treat
Pelvic floor dysfunction, also called pelvic floor disorders, occurs when the pelvic floor — muscles, ligaments and connective tissue that support the pelvic organs — becomes weakened, injured, and loses its elasticity.
Organs in the pelvis include the bladder, uterus, vagina, and rectum. The pelvic floor plays an important role in urination, moving the bowels and reproductive functions and without the support of these important muscles and ligaments, the function of pelvic organs can be affected.
Pelvic floor dysfunction causes physical discomfort, and limits activities from exercise to social activities. Symptoms and risk factors vary from person to person.
At Holy Cross Health, our goal is to restore function and your quality of life with the most personalized care.
Risk Factors of Pelvic Floor Disorders
While women are far more likely to be affected by pelvic floor dysfunction than men, both genders can be affected. Risk factors include:
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Age, with older women at greater risk
- Conditions such as obesity, chronic constipation or coughing, atrophy of pelvic tissues during menopause, lung issues that increase pelvic pressure, nerve and muscle diseases, and kidney or bladder stones
- Radiation or pelvic surgery, which can injure pelvic floor muscles and tissues
- Behaviors such as smoking, repetitive heavy lifting and excessive caffeine consumption
- Enlarged prostate in men
Common Conditions and Symptoms of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction
Pelvic floor disorders can cause pain and pelvic pressure. Symptoms will vary depending on the type of damage that has occurred. Individuals with pelvic floor disorders may experience:
