01.10.18

Pelvic Floor Unit is located at Aarhus University Hospital. From left senior consultant Marianne Glavind-Kristensen, professor Peter Christensen and nurse Sigrid Hansen (photo: Tonny Foghmar). 

On the 1 October 2018, the Pelvic Floor Unit opens at Aarhus University Hospital. Specialist teams from Department of Urology, Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology and Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine join forces to make coherent patient pathways in both diagnostics and treatment.

Today, Aarhus University Hospital opens the Pelvic Floor Unit – the first in Denmark. At the clinic, patients will receive specialist treatment for e.g urinary incontinence, fecal incontinence, prolapses, birth-related injuries and late complications caused by cancer treatment.

- We offer patients with diseases related to the pelvic floor treatment in specialised and coordinated pathways, says Anette Ryslev, Consultant and Head of Pelvic Floor Unit together with Head Nurse Bodil Clemensen.

Four of the departments at Aarhus University Hospital have established the Pelvic Floor Unit together: Department of Urology, Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics and Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.

The idea to establish such a joint clinic has been long in the making. The building of new facilities for Aarhus University Hospital has made it possible for the four departments to share facilities.

- The Pelvic Floor Unit is a ”one stop shop”. One of the obvious advantages is that patients can be examined by specialists from all the involved departments at the same time or on the same day.     

A national competence centre

Jørgen Schøler Kristensen, Chief Medical Officer at Aarhus University Hospital, sees huge perspectives in the Pelvic Floor Unit.

- Not only patient treatment will be optimised in this highly specialised environment – but also research and education. I believe, the Pelvic Floor Unit will become a national competence centre and in time also develop into an internationally acknowledged centre.

-     

The inspiration to establish the Pelvic Floor Unit comes from abroad. Several large hospitals abroad such as Guy’s and St Thomas’ hospitals in London have so-called pelvic floor units where specialists join forces to treat patients with diseases related to the pelvic floor.

FACTS:

Four clinical departments at Aarhus University Hospital are part of the Pelvic Floor Unit:

• Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics
• Department of Urology
• Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology
• Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine
• Moreover, physiotherapists will be attached to the clinic

The Pelvic Floor Unit will annually receive 3,500-4,000 newly referred patients and perform 12,000-13,000 outpatient consultations. This is estimated to lead to 1,200-1,300 surgical interventions annually.

Further information:

Anette Ryslev, Head Consultant, Department of Urology, Aarhus University Hospital, Tel.: + 45 40 17 89 02, e-mail: anetrysl@rm.dk

Jørgen Schøler Kristensen, Chief Medical Officer, Aarhus University Hospital, Tel.: +45 20 16 32 01, e-mail: joerkris@rm.dk