Advanced Urogynaecology Departmen t Opens at Saveetha Medical College f or Treating Female Pelvic Disorders
● While only one in ten adult women has diabetes, and one in three has hy pertension, one in two suffers from p elvic floor dysfunction
● It will offer advanced diagnostics an nd comprehensive care, including con nservative non-surgical therapies and minimally invasive surgical procedure s, for these conditions.
Chennai, January 20 2025
Saveetha Medical College and Hospital (SMCH), a part of Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMA TS), has inaugurated a state-of-the-art Department of Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery (Urogyaec ology), fully equipped to offer compre ehensive surgical and non-surgical car e for women with pelvic floor disorder s.
Ms. Poornima Bhagyaraj, cine actor an d entrepreneur, and Prof. Dr. N. Rajam aheshwari, former HoD, Department o f Urogynaecology, Madras Medical Coll ege, Chennai, inaugurated this exclusi ve department in the presence of Dr. N . M. Veeraiyan, Founder & Chancellor, and Dr. Deepak Nallasamy, Pro Chance llor, SIMATS. Dr. J. Kumutha, Dean, Dr. K. Seethalakshmi, HoD, Department of Urogynaecology, and Dr. Ponnambala m, Medical Superintendent, SMCH, we re among the dignitaries who took par t in the event.
Urogynaecology, a super speciality wit hin gynaecology, addresses common f emale pelvic floor disorders such as pe lvic organ prolapse, chronic pelvic pai n, urinary tract infections, interstitial cystitis, and urinary incontinence. The se conditions often arise as a result of pregnancy, childbirth, gynaecological surgeries, or menopause.
The newly inaugurated department is set to become a leading referral center in the country for women with pelvic f loor disorders. It will offer advanced diagnostics and comprehensive care, i ncluding conservative non-surgical the rapies and minimally invasive surgical procedures, matching the standards of those in Western countries. It will focu s on geriatric urogynaecology, address ing pelvic floor disorders in older wom en, which have become a public health priority due to the rising life expectan cy of women globally.
In his remarks, Dr. N.M. Veeraiyan stat ed, “Pelvic floor conditions are more c ommon than hypertension, diabetes m ellitus, and depression. While one in te n adult women has diabetes, one in thr ee has hypertension, and one in twenty has depression, one in two adult wome n suffers from pelvic floor dysfunction n. Despite being so common, countless women are unaware that these proble ms even have a name. Many are also r eluctant to seek help due to the stigma surrounding these conditions. We laun ched this exclusive department to pro vide excellent, compassionate, and sta te-of-the-art care for women with pelv ic floor disorders. This department ai ms to alleviate their suffering and enh ance the quality of life for women who lack the knowledge or means to access specialist care on their own.”
In her comments, Dr. K. Seethalakshm mi, Head of the Department of Urogyn aecology, pointed out that among Chen nai’s female population of 25.95 lakh, 5 4.7% are at risk of pelvic floor disorder s. Additionally, 62% suffer from urinar y incontinence, while 54% experience sexual dysfunction. “The high prevale nce of these conditions underscores th e need to train gynaecologists in the fu ndamentals of female urological probl ems. However, this subject is currently not included in the medical curriculu m, and the number of urogynaecologi sts equipped to address these issues re mains disproportionately low. The ne w department will bridge the knowled ge and skill gap by offering excellent t raining to medical students and reside nts, enhancing their understanding of female pelvic floor disorders. It will al so spearhead innovative and groundbr eaking research and host conferences featuring international specialists who will impart knowledge on novel surgic al techniques.”