Division of Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery

The UC San Diego Division of Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery (URPS) seeks to be an international leader in URPS care, research and education. Our mission is to continuously improve URPS patient care and the URPS knowledge base through teaching and modeling quality clinical care, research and professional education.

The educational objectives are to train the next generation of leaders in URPS. While there is a strong clinical component to the program, the focus is to prepare graduates for careers in academic medicine and teaching. The division members actively participate in basic science research (physiology of pelvic floor dysfunction and urinary microbiome), clinical outcomes research evaluating interventions for pelvic floor dysfunction (including NIH sponsored Pelvic Floor Disorders Network and industry sponsored trials) and bladder health promotion (NIH sponsored Prevention of Lower Urinary tract Symptoms Research Consortium).

The diverse faculty provide training and clinical care in the full spectrum of incontinence and prolapse surgical procedures including open, vaginal, laparoscopic, and robotic approaches.

Our division has three missions:

1. Clinical Care: We capitalize on our multi-disciplinary model of Ob/Gyn and Urology fellowship trained specialists to continuously improve clinical care and provide subspecialty care primarily to affected women in the San Diego region and secondarily, provide consultation for women across the region in academic setting. The UC San Diego Women's Pelvic Medicine Center is San Diego's first multidisciplinary clinic in the region providing comprehensive care in incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse. The center also hosts a specialty practice for management of complex recurrent urinary tract infections. We employ state of the art technology, including telehealth and cutting edge clinical care for our diverse population.
2. Research: With extramural funding, we continue to grow our diverse research portfolio across spectrum of basic, translational, clinical and prevention programs. Areas of research to include: (patho)physiology, mechanics and regeneration of the female pelvic soft tissues, surgical (and other clinical) outcomes, prevention of lower urinary tract symptoms, urobiome, and quality metrics including post-operative quality measures including urinarytract infection and hospital readmission.
3. Education: We boast one of the top URPS training programs in the country, attracting the best and brightest physicians from across the US. We are proud to train the next generation of clinician scientists and academic leaders in URPS through our ACGME accredited 3-year fellowship training program since 2000.

Division News/Spotlight

• After nearly 30 years of service as faculty and 5 years as Chair of the UC San Diego Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences, Dr. Charles Nager retired from "active duty" June 30, 2020. We congratulate him on his heroic efforts and tremendous impact he has had on the department and University. Fortunately, for the division of URPS he has returned to clinical duties providing valued clinical and educational commitments to our patients and trainees.
• Congratulations to Marianna Alperin on her recent 2nd percentile score on her NICHD grant application: Prevention of pelvic floor muscle dysfunction with extracellular matrix hydrogel.