Pelvic Medicine Team Works Together to Solve Complex Issues

AnneMarie's Story

AnneMarie McCormack of New Hampton jokes that before being cared for at Concord Hospital Urologic Institute, she could have written a travel guide for roadside rest areas.

AnneMarie suffered from a prolapsed bladder, which meant frequent restroom stops as she and her husband, Don, took road trips.

“I can tell you where all the rest areas are,” she said. “It was very inconvenient, but it doesn’t have to be.”

AnneMarie McCormack

AnneMarie, who is 77, sought treatment from Drs. Veronica Triaca and Cathy Yi at the Institute’s Pelvic Medicine, Continence and Sexual Health Program. They worked together to complete several surgical procedures in a single operation to hold AnneMarie’s bladder in its proper position, strengthen other tissue in her pelvic area and perform a hysterectomy.

“It’s fabulous,” she said. “I can go to the bathroom with absolutely no problem and I’m not going to the bathroom 45 times a day. I feel normal, like before I had the problem.”

AnneMarie had tried other solutions, with no permanent relief for her condition. Prolapse (or fallen) bladder is common in women and occurs when the muscles and tissue of the pelvic floor weaken and no longer act as a sort of hammock to hold the bladder in place.

A prolapsed bladder can cause discomfort or pain; difficulty urinating; urine leakage during sneezing, coughing or exertion; more frequent bladder infections; painful intercourse or low back pain. As part of the surgical procedure, Dr. Triaca secured a mesh sling to help hold AnneMarie’s bladder in place.

AnneMarie said Drs. Triaca and Yi thoroughly explained her condition and treatment options, going to great lengths to help ease her anxiety after seeing a news story about the risks of the mesh sling.

“Dr. Triaca returned our call and talked to us for 35 minutes,” she said. “Every one of my questions and my husband’s questions were answered.”

AnneMarie said it was reassuring to her and Don that Drs. Triaca and Yi met together with them to prepare them for the procedure, then worked together during the surgery in August of 2018.

“There were no surprises, before or after,” she said. “Everything they told me to expect, even when I went home, went exactly as they had said.”

She said she hopes sharing her experience will encourage other women suffering with the same condition to seek treatment.

“Why feel so miserable when this procedure can give you your life back,” she said.

Expert Urology Care Close to Home

In addition to its office on Concord Hospital’s campus, the Institute’s board-certified urologists practice in New London, Plymouth, and Wolfeboro, making it convenient for you to be seen close to home no matter where you live in Central New Hampshire.