Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery

Babak Vakili, MD, joined the UW Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and UW Health as the first Medical Director of the Integrated Specialty Care for Women (ISCW) program in April 2025. Dr. Vakili’s role is 50% ISCW Medical Director and 50% faculty in the Division of Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery. Vakili received his medical degree from Jefferson Medical... more

The Society of Gynecologic Surgeons (SGS) hosted their 51st Annual Scientific Meeting March 30-April 2, 2025. Several members of the Division of Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery attended the conference and shared their work. Caroline Cox, MD, assistant professor in the Division of Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery, was selected in early 2024 to ... more

Dobie Giles, MD, MS, MBA, professor in the Division of Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery, has been selected for an exciting leadership role in medical student education! Giles is the new director of the Phase 1 Preceptor Program in the UW School of Medicine and Public Health, effective January 1, 2025.As part of the UW School of Medicine and Public Health ForWa... more

Members of the Department of Ob-Gyn Division of Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery brought research and presentations to the 2024 AUGS PFD Week Conference in Washington, DC October 22-25,2024! A few of their exciting accomplishments:Jon Pennycuff, MD, MSPH, assistant professor in the division, presented Exploring Early Career Surgeons' Views on Support and Mento... more

As services in the new Eastpark Medical Center open up, leaders from across the UW School of Medicine and Public Health have shared updates about the clinic with local media. Ellen Hartenbach, MD, chair of the Department of Ob-Gyn, joined WMTV-15 News to talk about Integrated Specialty Care for Women, located at Eastpark Medical Center. In UW Eastpark Medical Center offering... more

The AAGL hosted the 53rd Global Congress on MIGS in New Orleans November 16-19, 2024. Members of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology participated in several aspects of the event!Olga Fajardo, MD, assistant professor in the Division of Academic Specialists in Ob-Gyn, was a member of the event’s Program Committee.Dobie Giles, MD, MS, MBA, professor in the Division of U... more

Ushma Patel, MD, a fellow in the Division of Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery, presented the Grand Rounds lecture “Tackling the Taboo: Let’s Talk #2.”In the lecture, Patel defined fecal incontinence (FI), described the parts of a physical examination for FI, and recommended an approach to FI management.You can watch the full lecture here.**by Ob-Gyn Communicat... more

Ellen Hartenbach, MD, chair of the UW Department of Ob-Gyn, and Christine Heisler, MD, MS, associate professor and director of the Division of Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery, are sharing more information about the UW Health Integrated Specialty Care for Women (ISCW) launch at Eastpark Medical Center with local media. In the UW Health news article “Integrated... more

UW Health celebrated advanced practice providers during APP Week in September, culminating in the UW Health UW Health Advanced Practice Provider Excellence Awards celebration. Angela Sergeant, NP, of the Division of Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery, was nominated for a 2024 Excellence in Clinical Practice Award. In nomination materials, her colleagues said: “A... more

Ushma Patel, MD, a fellow in the Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery Division in the UW Department of Ob-Gyn and Caroline Cox, MD, an assistant professor in the same division, joined Medscape for a recent a story about urinary tract infection (UTI) care.“Over-the-Counter UTI Products: What Primary Care Clinicians Need to Know” publicized a study done by Patel and... more

On September 26, 2024, Caroline Cox, MD, assistant professor in the Division of Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery, presented the Grand Rounds lecture “The Key Role of the Apical Ligaments in Uterovaginal Support.”In the lecture, Cox created a model for the progression of prolapse by understanding the anatomy and histology of ligaments and biomechanical imaging ... more

Pelvic floor physical therapy is a common treatment option that can be immensely helpful for people experiencing pelvic floor issues like incontinence or prolapse. But some patients may be reluctant to consider pelvic floor PT, or unsure about how it works.Sari Archer and Carrie Schwoerer joined this episode of the Women’s Healthcast to tell us more about pelvic floor disord... more