Incontinence care

We understand the emotional and physical challenges incontinence can cause. Our specialists have expertise in all types of urinary and bowel incontinence.

We take a collaborative approach to your care. Through our coordinated network of urogynecology, urology, and gastroenterology services, we work with you to create a personalized treatment plan. Our team will help restore your health and quality of life.

At Penn Medicine, our pelvic health experts use advanced diagnostics to determine the root cause of your symptoms. Because many medical conditions can lead to incontinence, it’s important to receive a thorough evaluation and accurate diagnosis for effective treatment.

Our providers understand the challenges people with incontinence face. We aim to help you return to full health as quickly as possible.

Accidental bowel leakage (also called fecal incontinence) can happen to anyone, but women often have a higher risk. Childbirth can put stress on pelvic floor muscles, which can lead to fecal incontinence later. Our treatment options help manage incontinence after childbirth or from other causes.

The Penn Medicine Women’s Accidental Bowel Leakage Program offers:

• Expertise in women’s pelvic health: Our care team focuses on treating women with fecal incontinence. Our providers have specialized fellowship training in female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery to treat all types of pelvic floor disorders.
• Multidisciplinary care: You have access to care providers for non-surgical treatment, physical therapy, and surgical procedures for fecal incontinence. If you need treatment for other conditions, we coordinate with doctors in every specialty available at Penn Medicine.
• Access to clinical trials: Our team receives funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to conduct clinical research for fecal incontinence treatments. We are one of just six research sites within the NIH-sponsored Pelvic Floor Disorders Network (PFDN). Through our clinical trials, you can gain access to promising new diagnostic technologies, non-surgical therapies, and surgical techniques before they’re available to the public.

Postpartum pelvic floor care for incontinence

Managing incontinence after childbirth can be a challenge. We offer postpartum recovery services for pelvic floor care to treat incontinence issues you may experience during or after delivery.

Treatment may include:

• Comprehensive care for bladder and bowel control problems
• Outpatient rehabilitation for pelvic muscle weakness
• Reconstructive surgery to repair perineal tears or remove scar tissue

Expertise you need for urinary and bowel incontinence

At Penn Medicine, you have access to world-leading specialists who focus on diagnosing and treating the causes of incontinence. Our doctors, surgeons, nurses, and physical therapists have years of experience treating women for bladder and bowel control issues.

As a leading academic health system, Penn Medicine also includes expert scientists on our care teams. They conduct research and clinical trials for incontinence, giving you access to the newest, most advanced treatment options available.