Advanced Urogynaecology Department Opens at Saveetha Medical College for Treating Female Pelvic Disorders
● While only one in ten adult women ha s diabetes, and one in three has hyperte nsion, one in two suffers from pelvic flo or dysfunction
● It will offer advanced diagnostics and comprehensive care, including conserva tive non-surgical therapies and minimall ly invasive surgical procedures, for thes e conditions
Chennai, January 20 2025
Saveetha Medical College and Hospital (SMCH), a part of Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMAT S), has inaugurated a state-of-the-art D epartment of Female Pelvic Medicine an d Reconstructive Surgery (Urogynaecol ogy), fully equipped to offer comprehen sive surgical and non-surgical care for w omen with pelvic floor disorders.
Ms. Poornima Bhagyaraj, cine actor and entrepreneur, and Prof. Dr. N. Rajamahe shwari, former HoD, Department of Uro gynaecology, Madras Medical College, C hennai, inaugurated this exclusive depar tment in the presence of Dr. N. M. Veera iyan, Founder & Chancellor, and Dr. Dee pak Nallasamy, Pro Chancellor, SIMATS. Dr. J. Kumutha, Dean, Dr. K. Seethalaksh mi, HoD, Department of Urogynaecolog y, and Dr. Ponnambalam, Medical Superi ntendent, SMCH, were among the dignit aries who took part in the event.
Urogynaecology, a super speciality withi n gynaecology, addresses common fema le pelvic floor disorders such as pelvic or gan prolapse, chronic pelvic pain, urinar y tract infections, interstitial cystitis, an d urinary incontinence. These condition s often arise as a result of pregnancy, chi ldbirth, gynaecological surgeries, or me nopause.
The newly inaugurated department is s et to become a leading referral center in the country for women with pelvic floor disorders. It will offer advanced diagnos tics and comprehensive care, including c onservative non-surgical therapies and minimally invasive surgical procedures, matching the standards of those in West tern countries. It will focus on geriatric urogynaecology, addressing pelvic floor disorders in older women, which have b ecome a public health priority due to th e rising life expectancy of women globa lly.
In his remarks, Dr. N.M. Veeraiyan state d, “Pelvic floor conditions are more com mon than hypertension, diabetes mellit us, and depression. While one in ten ad ult women has diabetes, one in three ha s hypertension, and one in twenty has d epression, one in two adult women suff ers from pelvic floor dysfunction. Despi te being so common, countless women a re unaware that these problems even ha ve a name. Many are also reluctant to se ek help due to the stigma surrounding t hese conditions. We launched this exclu sive department to provide excellent, co mpassionate, and state-of-the-art care f or women with pelvic floor disorders. Th is department aims to alleviate their suf fering and enhance the quality of life for women who lack the knowledge or mea ns to access specialist care on their own.
In her comments, Dr. K. Seethalakshmi, Head of the Department of Urogynaecol ogy, pointed out that among Chennai’s f emale population of 25.95 lakh, 54.7% a re at risk of pelvic floor disorders. Additi onally, 62% suffer from urinary incontin ence, while 54% experience sexual dysf unction. “The high prevalence of these c onditions underscores the need to train gynaecologists in the fundamentals of f emale urological problems. However, thi s subject is currently not included in the medical curriculum, and the number of u rogynaecologists equipped to address t hese issues remains disproportionately l ow. The new department will bridge the knowledge and skill gap by offering exce cellent training to medical students and residents, enhancing their understandin g of female pelvic floor disorders. It will also spearhead innovative and groundbr eaking research and host conferences fe aturing international specialists who wi ll impart knowledge on novel surgical te chniques.”
