Minimally invasive procedures available include:

The two most common types of urine leakage are stress urinary incontinence (SUI), triggered when stress in applied to the bladder, such as sneezing, coughing or laughing, and urge urinary incontinence (UUI) resulting from an overactive bladder. Some patients have a combination of both (mixed urinary incontinence). In addition some have overflow incontinence where the bladder is always full and any additional urine entering the bladder simply leaks out.

Minimally invasive outpatient procedures, including TVT (Tension-free Vaginal Tape) and Interstim therapy, alleviate urinary incontinence are available right here in Winona. Procedures are done under local anesthesia allowing for rapid recovery.

Scott Birdsall, MD, notes, “Uncontrollable urinary loss affects almost a third of all women, and two out of three of them say that their quality of life is significantly diminished. In most cases, we can provide relief.”

For women who have excessive menstrual bleeding, Endometrial Ablation is a procedure to surgically eliminate the lining of the uterus. In most cases, this outpatient procedure can lessen or eliminate periods without removing the uterus.
For women in need of a hysterectomy, the rate of vaginal hysterectomy procedures is approximately 20% nationally, but in the Winona community this percentage is closer to 80%. Although technically, a vaginal hysterectomy can be a more difficult procedure, it clearly allows for a much quicker recovery. With no abdominal incisions, the post-operative pain usually is much more tolerable, allowing for discharge from the hospital the day after surgery at the latest.

Laparoscopic hysterectomy (either with or without the removal of the cervix) allows the physician to safety evaluate the pelvic area through small abdominal incisions when there is a suspicion of unusual pelvic anatomy. This surgery still allows most patients to be discharged from the hospital the day after surgery.

Other Obstetrics/Gynecology surgical services:

Winona Health highly skilled surgeons preform a variety of procedures in our surgical center using the latest technology.

  • Abdominal hysterectomy
  • Cesarean section
  • Dialation and curettage (D & C)
  • Endrometrial ablation
  • Hysteroscopy (diagnosis and treatment of bleeding, polyps and fibroids)
  • Laparoscopic hysterectomy
  • Laparoscopy (diagnosis and treatment of infertility, pain, pelvic mares and sterilization)
  • Repair of pelvic prolapse problems
  • Treatment of cervical pre cancer
  • Vaginal hysterectomy
young female patient with nurse

For more information:

Women’s Health Center
Winona Health, Clinic 3rd floor
859 Mankato Avenue
Winona, MN 55987

507.457.7701
7:45 a.m.–5 p.m. Monday–Friday