Dr. David Rustad, Dr. David Schmeling, Dr. Nathaniel Kreykes, Dr. Brad Feltis, Dr. David Wahoff
What is Giggle Incontinence?
Giggle Incontinence is an involuntary and complete bladder emptying in response to laughter. The condition generally appears in girls younger than 18 years old, often between 7.5 – 15.5 years old. Most children and young adults who suffer from this condition don’t have any physical abnormalities. The cause is unknown, although a functional relationship to cataplexy (or sudden and transient episode of loss of muscle tone, often triggered by emotions) has been suggested.
Treatment for Gi
ggle Incontinence
We recommend to schedule an appointment with one of our expertly trained Nurse Practitioners for further advice specific to your child. Our Nurse Practitioners will use management and prevention strategies, such as the use of medications and behavioral modifications. If this does not work, and dependent on the child’s condition, our team might discuss surgical options, such as Interstim Neuromodulation therapy.
The Good News
Giggle incontinence is not always a “forever” condition for the majority of children affected. Parents can help their children reduce or completely eliminate symptoms by calling 612-813-8000 (option #3) to set up an appointment and receive an effective treatment plan. Click here to view all of our convenient locations!
PSA Urologists, Dr. Reinberg and Dr. Vandersteen, went to Vietnam on a surgical mission trip with the non-profit organization, Children’s Surgery International. Children’s Surgery International (CSI) is a Minnesota-based, nonprofit volunteer organization that provides specialized medical and surgical services to underprivileged children around the world. Dr. Reinberg, Dr. Vandersteen and 24 other medical volunteers went to Vietnam earlier this month. The entire CSI team spent the week long mission trip at Thanh Hoa Pediatric Hospital where they performed 56 surgeries! During their time in Vietnam, the CSI team also provided professional training, education and support to surgeons, nurses and other caregivers in the local community. Well done Dr. Reinberg and Dr. Vandersteen! To read more about Children’s Surgery International and the mission trip to Vietnam, click here.
What is Urinary Incontinence?
Urinary incontinence can be defined as the loss of bladder control, which results in the accidental
loss of urine. A child with urinary incontinence may not stay dry during the day or night. The nurse practitioners at Pediatric Surgical Associates specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of urinary incontinence
in children.
What Causes Urinary Incontinence?
Urinary incontinence can be caused by a health problem such as:
How Physical Therapy Can Work for Urinary Incontinence in Kids?
Based your child’s condition, our nurse practitioners could recommend physical therapy as a part of their treatment plan. A physical therapist can look at the muscles of the abdomen, legs, and back as well as the child’s diet, sleep patterns, exercise and assess any behavioral issues that may be contributing to the problem. Physical therapists educate kids and parents about exercises that strengthen pelvic floor muscles as well as help develop strategies for overcoming incontinence in school and in social situations through positive reinforcement. Research has shown that proper pelvic floor muscle training and biofeedback dramatically improves voiding dysfunction such as urinary incontinence in children.
Influenza, commonly known 
as “the flu” is a highly contagious viral infection of the respiratory tract. It affects all age groups, although kids tend to get it more often than adults. In the United States, flu season runs from October to May, with most cases happening between late December and early March.
If your child is experiencing any of the following signs or symptoms, please call 612-813-8000 (option 3) to reschedule your appointment as soon as possible. We will not see patients who exhibit the signs and symptoms identified below.
Signs and Symptoms
Flu symptoms defined by the Minnesota Department of Health include: fever, dry cough, sore throat, headache, extreme tiredness, and body aches. These symptoms come on quickly and can be bad enough to keep you in bed for several days.
Prevention
To protect yourself and others, follow these quick tips:
For more information, go to:
http://www.childrensmn.org/educationmaterials/parents/article/8388/influenza-flu/
New space and technology wi
ll be added to the Midwest Fetal Care Center (MWFCC), thanks to a million dollar gift from Mike and Ann Ciresi. The MWFCC, a partnership of Pediatric Surgical Associates, Children’s Hospital and Abbott Northwestern Hospital, is national leader in the advancement of care for fetal abnormalities or conditions in a baby before birth. “Philanthropy and support from the community have been a game changer for us; we have the staff, resources and now the facility to take the Midwest Fetal Care Center to the next level,” said Brad Feltis, MD, PhD, surgical director, Midwest Fetal Care Center. “Currently we perform only a few procedures inside the womb. In the next five to ten years, we’ll be able to advance to even more complex in-utero surgeries while expanding peer-reviewed data to improve outcomes for babies around the world. We’re really launching into the next frontier in medicine and the Midwest Fetal Care Center is poised to be among the national leaders in fetal diagnosis and therapy.” The Center will be named the Michael and Ann Ciresi Midwest Fetal Care Center and will be co-located with the Minnesota Perinatal Physicians Clinic, part of Allina Health. Check out this great story from ABC KSTP TV5 NEWS: Minneapolis to become Midwest Hub for Pre-Natal Care!
Pediatric Surgical Associates is delighted to announce the addition of Katie Willihnganz-Lawson, MD to our growing pediatric urology team. Dr. Katie Willihnganz-Lawson grew up in Rochester, Minnesota. She attended medical school and completed her urology residency training at the University of Minnesota. She then completed her fellowship training in pediatric urology at the University of Washington and Seattle Children’s Hospital. Dr. Willihnganz-Lawson enjoys all aspects of pediatric urology but is especially interested in genitourinary reconstruction, sex development, neurogenic bladder and congenital anomalies of the urinary tract. She is also trained in minimally invasive robotic surgery. During her training she researched surgical outcomes for patients with bladder exstrophy, vascular anomalies, and disorders of sex development. She has performed quality improvement projects and improved standardization of care and quality of life for pediatric urology patients. In both education and treatment, Dr. Willihnganz-Lawson uses a family-centered care model to engage her pediatric patients. She is excited to be returning to Minnesota and bringing her talents and skills as a physician and reconstructive surgeon to the Twin Cities!
Twin Cities native Dr. Short and his family are happy to return to Minnesota. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of California at Berkeley and then completed the Medical Scientist Training Program (MD/PhD) at the University of Alabama in Birmingham. He performed his general surgery residency at the University of Alabama in Birmingham and Hennepin County Medical Center. He completed a Minimally Invasive Surgery/Bariatric fellowship at the University of Minnesota and then completed his Pediatric Surgery fellowship at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. He cares for and enjoys the full spectrum of neonatal and pediatric diseases, with a particular interest in minimally invasive surgical approaches.
Dr. Joseph Lillega
rd attended medical school at the University of Nevada where he completed his MD and PhD in Cellular and Molecular Biology. He completed his surgical training at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN in General Surgery and his Pediatric Surgery Fellowship at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. His areas of interest are Pediatric General and Thoracic Surgery including minimally invasive laparoscopic and thoracoscopic surgery, neonatal congenital anomalies, congenital diaphragmatic hernia repair, childhood malignancies, thyroid and parathyroid disease, anal rectal malformation repair, and the repair of chest wall deformities such as pectus excavatum and carnatum. He will be participating with the fetal surgery team performing operative fetoscopy and will be working to help start an open fetal surgery program. He is the Director of Research at the Midwest Fetal Care Center and conducts research related to ex-vivo and in-utero cell and gene correction strategies related to inborn errors of metabolism of the liver
