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Gynecology and Obstetrics

 Urogynecology and Pelvic Floor Disorders

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UT Southwestern researchers find protein breakdown contributes to pelvic organ prolapse

Our urogynecology team includes physicians and nurse practitioners who specialize in incontinence, pelvic rehabilitation, and pelvic reconstructive surgery. We offer the latest diagnostic and treatment options – individually tailored to meet the needs and lifestyle of each patient.

 

Joseph Schaffer, MD

Joseph Schaffer, MD – Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology – is Chief of the Division of Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery and Medical Director of the division's university practice. He holds the Frank C. Erwin, Jr. Professorship in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Schaffer completed his residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia and then trained in the Advanced Pelvic Surgery Fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic. Subsequently, he obtained additional training in urogynecology and urodynamics at Kings College Hospital in London. After practicing urogynecology at the University Medical Center at Stony Brook in New York, he joined the faculty at UT Southwestern Medical Center in 1997.

Dr. Schaffer is a Fellow of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, a Diplomate of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and a member of the American Urogynecologic Society, the International Continence Society, and the American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists. He is past president of the Society of Gynecologic Surgeons.

Dr. Schaffer has written and lectured widely on the subjects of urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse.

 

Marlene Corton, MD

Marlene Corton, MD is an Associate Professor and Associate Residency Program Director in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at UT Southwestern Medical Center.

Dr. Corton was born in Havana, Cuba, and came to the United States when she was 16. Fluent in Spanish, she learned to speak English after arriving in this country and understands the challenges her patients face with English as a second language.

Graduating from Cook College, Rutgers University with a major in biochemistry, she attended the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Jersey. After receiving her medical degree, she completed a residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Parkland Memorial Hospital and UT Southwestern in 1998, followed by a preceptorship in urogynecology and urodynamics with Dr. Schaffer.

Dr. Corton is board certified in obstetrics and gynecology and is a member of the American Urogynecologic Society and the Society of Gynecologic Surgeons.

Pursuing her medical school passion for anatomy, she has developed and directs a nationally recognized, cadaveric pelvic anatomy training program. Designed specifically for obstetrician-gynecologists, the program trains both residents and fellows in minimally invasive techniques as well as complex pelvic reconstructive procedures in the anatomy lab and at the Southwestern Center for Minimally Invasive Surgery.

Dr. Corton specializes in female pelvic organ disorders including urinary and fecal incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, and pelvic pain.  She has a special interest in minimally invasive approaches to complex reconstructive surgical procedures, including laparoscopic procedures with and without DaVinci Robot assistance.

She also has a special interest in anal incontinence and defecatory dysfunction, and offers women a wide array of anal physiology testing such as endoanal sonography and anal manometry. 

Following a thorough evaluation, Dr. Corton discusses the nonsurgical and surgical treatment options with her patients to determine the management strategy that best meets her patients’ needs and lifestyles. 

 

David Rahn, MD

David “Ike” Rahn, MD, Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, joined the faculty at UT Southwestern in 2008. A graduate of Texas A&M University with a major in genetics, he received his medical degree from The University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in 2001.

After completing a residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Parkland Memorial Hospital and UT Southwestern, Dr. Rahn pursued a three-year fellowship in female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery at UT Southwestern. As a urogynecologist, Dr. Rahn specializes in the treatment of women with urinary leakage and incontinence and treats pelvic floor organ prolapse and injuries. Together with his colleagues, he is committed to tailoring treatment plans to each patient’s needs.

Dr. Rahn is a Fellow of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and a member of the American Urogynecologic Society, the Society of Gynecologic Surgeons, the American Medical Association, and the Texas Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. In 2008, Dr. Rahn was honored with the Society of Gynecologic Surgeons President’s Award for Outstanding Research in Gynecologic Surgery for his work in preventing prolapse after hysterectomy.

The specialists in the Urogynecology and Female Pelvic Medicine Program are assisted by their colleague, Dr. Clifford Wai, as well as by physicians who are completing training in the Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery Fellowship Program at UT Southwestern.

 

Clifford Wai

Clifford Wai, MD, is an Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Director of the Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery Fellowship Program at UT Southwestern Medical Center.

Dr. Wai, who is fluent in both Cantonese and English, is board certified in obstetrics and gynecology and is a member of Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society, American Urogynecologic Society, and American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Dr. Wai attended medical school and completed residency training in obstetrics and gynecology at Georgetown University Medical Center, where he was administrative chief resident. Following residency, he pursued a three-year fellowship in female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery under the preceptorship of Dr. Schaffer. In 2003, he joined the faculty at UT Southwestern.

During his fellowship training, Dr. Wai became interested in research to understand and help women with urinary and fecal incontinence. Among the topics he has investigated is the role of nerve injury in anal and urinary incontinence. Committed to treating every patient as an individual, he hopes that his research will result in promising new treatments for patients with pelvic floor disorders. A central theme in his philosophy toward patient care is improving quality of life. He believes every patient is distinct and that treatment plans need to be individualized.

 

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