Joanne Tressler experienced pelvic pain, incontinence, and prolapse after giving birth vaginally to two large babies. Multiple doctors failed to correctly diagnose her issues. Dr. Peter O'Hare at MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center correctly diagnosed her with pelvic prolapse and blocked bladder. He used robotic-assisted laparoscopic surgery to repair the prolapse and install a mid-urethral sling. This less invasive procedure allowed for a quick recovery with minimal pain. Tressler now has relief from pain and incontinence with an excellent result.

1. 10 Discover MEDSTAR FRANKLIN SQUARE MEDICAL CENTER Spring 2015
ELIMINATING
PELVIC PAIN AND
INCONTINENCE
A Less Invasive Way to Treat Pelvic Prolapse
Not only did slender
37-year-old Joanne Tressler give
birth to both of her nearly 10-lb.
boys vaginally, but the birth of
her first son involved forceps. As
a result, she was left with pelvic
pain, urinary incontinence and
other symptoms at a young age.
“It wasn’t easy to recover from the
birth of my children. When I told
my obstetrician that sex had been
painful since my first son was
born,” she recalls, “he just told me
to take Motrin.”
After seeing several other
physicians, one of whom told
her that she just had a tilted
uterus, Tressler finally was
correctly diagnosed by Peter
O’Hare, MD, a fellowship-trained
urogynecologist at MedStar
Joanne Tressler finally experienced relief after seeing Dr. Peter O’Hare, who correctly diagnosed and
treated her pelvic prolapse.

2. Discover MEDSTAR FRANKLIN SQUARE MEDICAL CENTER Spring 2015 11
Franklin Square Medical Center.
“He told me that I had pelvic
prolapse—that my pelvic organs
weren’t being supported. He also
found that my uterus was
blocking my bladder,” she says.
“If it was moved out of the way, I
leaked urine.”
Robotic-Assisted Procedures
Dr. O’Hare used robotic-
assisted laparoscopic technology
to repair the prolapse and restore
the vaginal opening. He then
inserted a mid-urethral sling to
support Tressler’s pelvic organs.
“We use the daVinci® robot
to help us perform these
procedures because there is less
blood loss and pain, allowing
women to get back to their
normal activities faster,” explains
Dr. O’Hare. “We dissect and
reestablish the pelvic floor to
support the bladder, bowel and
vagina. Then we use a specifically
designed graft to support and
elevate the vaginal wall.
The surgery involves only a few
tiny incisions, so most women go
home the day after the procedure
and feel well by the second day.
We can fix problems without a
long surgical recovery and with
minimal pain or discomfort,” he
adds. “This condition is not an
emergency, but it’s a significant
quality of life issue. My goal was
for Joanne to return to all activities
without missing a beat, and to
return to normal relations with her
husband.”
Tressler remembers, “Dr. O’Hare
was wonderful from day one and
made me feel totally comfortable.
I didn’t feel like I had to hold
back any information. He let me
touch various types of grafts and
explained why the newer grafts
were better. He didn’t just dismiss
my concerns.”
She continues, “It’s clear he
strives for excellence. I value
customer service because of my
work as a corporate trainer and
loan specialist for a mortgage
company. What I really liked is
that Dr. O’Hare customizes the
surgery to fit your needs. He took
my lifestyle into account, giving
me the least invasive way to fix the
problem while still getting results.”
Beyond having excellent end
results, Tressler also had a great
experience. “I’m pain free now
with no leaking of urine at all,”
she says, “But what impressed
me the most was that all of the
staff who work with Dr. O’Hare
spoke highly of him. Since I
started talking to other women,
I’ve discovered how common
these problems are. I’ve shared
Dr. O’Hare’s name and number
with other women so they can
experience the relief that I have.”
Pelvic prolapse is just one of
many conditions affecting women
that MedStar Franklin Square
Medical Center treats.
To learn more, visit
MedStarFranklinSquare.org/
Discover, or to schedule an
appointment, call 855-546-0972.
Peter O’Hare, MD
Get to Know
Robotic Surgery
“The idea of having a robot
in the OR can be a little
intimidating,” Dr. O’Hare
acknowledges. Below, he
dispels some myths about
robotic surgery.
Myth #1 – Robotic surgery
doesn’t offer benefits over
traditional surgery.
Truth – Robotic surgery is very
precise, and is performed with
tiny incisions that promote less
blood loss and pain, and faster
healing.
Myth #2 – Robotic surgery
loses the advantage of human
hands.
Truth – Surgeons manipulate
the robotic instruments for
more precision and dexterity
than human hands permit.
Myth #3 – Robotic surgery is
not covered by insurance.
Truth – Most insurance
companies cover these
procedures.
Myth #4 – Robotic surgery
takes longer and is more
complicated to perform.
Truth – It takes about the
same time as other minimally
invasive procedures, and makes
performing surgery easier for
doctors trained in its use.
The daVinci robotic-assisted procedures allow
patients to get back to their normal activities faster.