News Release

December 3, 2007

Contact: Christopher DeFrancesco, 860-679-3914
e-mail: cdefrancesco@uchc.edu

UConn Health Center on Cutting Edge of Urodynamics

Advanced Diagnostic Services for Lower Urinary Tract Problems

FARMINGTON, CONN. – The University of Connecticut Health Center has made significant investments to modernize its urodynamics laboratory, making it a leader in advanced diagnostic services for problems such as difficulty urinating or incontinence.

“From a functional standpoint, urodynamics is not just a diagnostic test, rather it is a set of tools used to study urinary storage and emptying functions,” says Phillip P. Smith, M.D., head of the UConn Health Center’s urodynamics program. “Incontinence and voiding dysfunctions are very common problems, affecting most people at some point during their lives. The impact of pelvic organ prolapse in women compounds these problems. The Health Center has made a strong commitment to being a leader in the diagnosis and treatment of these problems. This commitment has included building and equipping a state-of-the-art urodynamics unit.”

Smith joined the UConn Division of Urology this summer. He is fellowship trained in the urologic subspecialties of urogynecology, voiding dysfunction and female urology. He specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of problems related to the bladder and urinary incontinence in men and women, as well as pelvic organ prolapse in women.

“In the urodynamics lab, I am able to learn about individual patients’ bladder problems with greater detail and accuracy than by simple clinical evaluation. This is particularly important in older patients, patients with prior surgeries, and those with complicated medical problems,” Smith says. “Symptoms will suggest certain problems, but the fact of the matter is, the accuracy of bladder symptoms in predicting the actual diagnosis is not all that good. This is where the urodynamic examination comes into play.”

The urodynamics lab is at UConn Health Partners, 65 Kane Street, West Hartford. Appointments for the evaluation and treatment of lower urinary tract problems can be made by calling the Division of Urology, at 860-679-4100.

The University of Connecticut Health Center includes the schools of medicine and dental medicine, the UConn Medical Group, University Dentists, and John Dempsey Hospital, a Solucient Top 100 Hospital® 2006. Founded in 1961, the Health Center pursues a mission of providing outstanding health care education in an environment of exemplary patient care, research and public service. To learn more about the UConn Health Center, visit our website at www.uchc.edu.

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