VESICOVAGINAL FISTULA REPAIR

WORLD-RENOWNED EXPERTS IN LAPAROSCOPIC VVF SURGERY

Drs. John Miklos and Robert Moore are internationally recognized, highly experienced surgeons in laparoscopic vesicovaginal fistula repair. Patients from across the United States and around the world have sought their expertise for primary, complex and previously failed VVF repairs.

VESICOVAGINAL FISTULA (VVF) & LAPAROSCOPIC VVF REPAIR

Welcome to two of the most experienced laparoscopic vesicovaginal fistula repair surgeons in the world. Drs. Miklos & Moore are internationally recognized authorities in laparoscopic vesicovaginal fistula (VVF) repair.

In 1998, Miklos & Moore Urogynecology were the second surgical team in the world to report on laparoscopic VVF repair. Today, they have decades of experience performing these highly specialized procedures. They have a documented cure rate of 98%, with an average hospital stay of 1 day and an average blood loss of less than 1 tablespoon. Their experience includes patients with new fistulas as well as women with failed VVF repairs previously performed by other surgeons. VVF patients have traveled to Drs. Miklos & Moore from across the United States and around the world, including Hong Kong, Nigeria, Hawaii and St. Johns Island, seeking their surgical expertise.

Drs. Miklos & Moore have also authored important research on laparoscopic vesicovaginal fistula repair. Their first article, published in 2015, documented their 15-year experience performing laparoscopic VVF repairs. Their second publication provides a comprehensive review of laparoscopic and robotic VVF repair. Both publications are featured below.

The published research below highlights Drs. Miklos & Moore’s extensive experience, surgical techniques and contributions to the advancement of laparoscopic vesicovaginal fistula repair.

A vesicovaginal fistula (VVF), also known as a bladder fistula or bladder-to-vagina fistula, is an abnormal passage between the bladder and the vagina. This passage can develop following previous surgery such as a hysterectomy, vaginal surgery or urinary incontinence sling surgery. A vesicovaginal fistula can also result from cancer treatment, radiation therapy, cesarean section or obstetrical trauma.

VESICOVAGINAL FISTULA SYMPTOMS

Patients with a vesicovaginal fistula typically experience continuous urinary leakage or leakage without sensory awareness. Continuous leakage means the urine loss is not necessarily associated with coughing, sneezing or urinary urgency. Instead, urine may continuously or repeatedly leak through the vagina.

Some patients have no sensation or warning that the leakage is about to occur. There may be no urgency or feeling that they need to use the bathroom—the urine simply leaks through the abnormal connection between the bladder and vagina.

Dr. Miklos and Dr. Moore are among the most experienced surgeons in the world performing laparoscopic vesicovaginal fistula (VVF) repairs. Traditionally, bladder fistulas have often been repaired through larger abdominal incisions known as laparotomies. Minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery allows the surgeon to perform the repair through small abdominal incisions with enhanced visualization of the bladder, vagina and surrounding tissues.

Laparoscopic VVF repair can offer important advantages, including smaller incisions, less postoperative pain, reduced blood loss, excellent surgical visualization and faster recovery compared with traditional open abdominal surgery.

Drs. Miklos and Moore use advanced laparoscopic techniques to obtain detailed visualization of the fistula and surrounding anatomy during repair. Their extensive experience includes both primary vesicovaginal fistulas and complex cases in which previous VVF repair attempts have failed.