As urology experts, we know how disruptive recurrent urinary tract infections can be to your life. They interfere with your ability to enjoy day-to-day life. They also interfere with your intimate health because you don’t want to have sex when you have a UTI due to pain and discomfort. Not only that, but UTIs can eventually be life-threatening as we get older. The infection can spread to the kidneys and can be silent until sepsis sets in. For all of these reasons, recurrent UTIs are very important to address aggressively and to make every effort to keep under control.

There are several reasons why you could have a recurring urinary tract infection. Some of these are easily reversible and some take more time and effort to correct. Our first order of business as urology experts is to uncover any underlying anatomical abnormalities to correct them. We also want to look at your overall health as that can play a big factor in why you keep getting urinary tract infections.

In the LifeSculpt by ChristiMD protocol, we begin with a thorough interview and urogynecologic exam. We will assess for any risk factors and anatomical abnormalities, such as a fallen bladder or dry vagina. We will check the bladder residual with an ultrasound, which shows us if there is retention of urine, which could be harboring infection. This is all done in the office on your first visit. If you are seeing Dr. Christi’s physician assistant or nurse practitioner, rest assured that they are thoroughly trained on how to perform these examinations and to evaluate them. You will be getting Dr. Christi’s original protocol. We will likely send the urine in for a urine culture to see if there is any lingering or active infection.

Next, we will obtain imaging of your kidneys. A detailed CAT scan will give us an idea if there are any kidney stones or blockages in the kidney which could be harboring infection. This will be ordered at an outside facility.

After the CAT scan you will have your second appointment at our office for a cystoscopy. Cystoscopy means “bladder scope”. It is an office procedure done under local anesthesia. We also offer Pro-Nox, similar to laughing gas, if you so choose.This procedure will most likely be performed by Dr. Christi herself, however, if you are unable to come on her procedure day and need to come when her physician assistant or nurse practitioner are available, be reassured that they are completely trained on this procedure. They have worked side-by-side with Dr. Christi to understand the anatomy and to be able to perform this exam. This procedure is a scope of the bladder, which will show us the lining of the bladder and see if there are any cyst or stones in the bladder, which could be causing urinary tract infections. If you’ve had any kind of bladder lift or bladder, surgery will also look for a stray suture, which could be harboring infection. The procedure is pretty quick and very easily tolerated.

Because we are specialists, we often send the urine for detailed DNA testing of bacteria. This is called PCR testing and will pick up traces of bacteria that a normal urine culture will not pick up. We will collect more urine specimens and urine cultures than you may have had in the past because we want to track the bacteria and also make sure that our antibiotic and other treatments are effective at clearing the bacteria.

Your protocol may also include catheterized urine specimens. Voided specimens from women are notoriously contaminated with the vaginal flora. In that case, we receive an inconclusive result, meaning we are not sure if you actually have an infection or not. To solve that and get an answer, we can insert a small catheter into your bladder with sterile technique and collect the urine directly from the bladder, bypassing the vagina. We can get a more pure and scientific lab result. This sounds very uncomfortable, but typically it is very well-tolerated. The entire team is trained on how to do it gently and quickly for your comfort.

Dr. Christi is a big believer in using antibiotics judiciously. While antibiotics definitely play a role in the treatment of UTIs, we do not want to keep treating you aggressively with antibiotics and eventually lead to bacteria that are resistant. While we do use antibiotics as needed we also want to use supplements and non-antibiotic medications to help your bladder fight the infection. Some of the common supplements that we recommend are medical grade cranberry supplements, D-Mannose, methenamine, and vitamin D. We also offer antibiotic installations directly into the bladder to eradicate stubborn bacterial infections.

If cystoscopy in the office shows a large amount of cysts on the trigone of the bladder, we may recommend a quick outpatient procedure in the operating room, in which Dr. Christi will perform where she will cauterize the cysts under anesthesia to eliminate the possibility that they could be harboring the infection. This is a very easy procedure with very little risk or discomfort afterwards.

If in our evaluation, we do not find any anatomical reason for your urinary tract infections, the next phase of the LifeSculpt protocol is to look at your overall health. We will look at your body‘s ability to process glucose, which can have a huge impact on urinary tract infections, especially if you are diabetic or prediabetic. We will look at your kidney function. If we find signs of metabolic syndrome and difficulty processing glucose, we can help correct that. We offer medical weight loss options that will help turn your entire health around. Our 90-day Body Transformation plan will get you on a path towards better health, help you conquer the recurrent UTIs and feel better overall. On average, patients lose 15-20 pounds in the first 90 days.

We also offer specialized testing such as micronutrient testing, which will look at your store of micronutrients in your body. Oftentimes there is a deficiency of several nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals that are hindering the body’s ability to fight infection. By underlying these hidden causes and replacing these nutrients, we can get you back on the road to health. Not only will you kick the UTIs but you will be healthier overall. We offer IV supplement therapy as well as custom blend medical grade supplements.

Another huge factor for recurrent urinary tract infections is hormonal status. Hormones are essential to the proper functioning of every cell of the body and especially the bladder and the vaginal area. This includes an estradiol, but also progesterone and testosterone. We will assess the hormonal status of your vaginal tissues upon your first examination and prescribe estradiol cream or the Mona Lisa Touch vaginal laser treatment as needed. We can also look at your systemic hormonal levels and replace those as well if indicated. Our Annual Longevity Hormone Plan will balance your hormones and slow down your aging process.

Our goal is to greatly decrease or completely cure you from recurrent urinary tract infections. Our motto at LifeSculpt by ChristiMD is more life and more love. We want to get you back to the life that you are designed to live and not be hindered by this problem. We also want your overall health to be maximized to make you resilient and able to fully embrace and enjoy your life.