Women’s liberation: Doctor relieves disconcerting disorders
Elizabeth Casiano, M.D. is a fellowship-trained urogynecologist with UT Health San Antonio.
When a woman has the sort of problem that’s usually not discussed, she can find deep knowledge and a sympathetic ear in Elizabeth Casiano, M.D.
A fellowship-trained urogynecologist with UT Health Physicians, Dr. Casiano has extensive training and experience treating conditions that affect female pelvic organs and the muscles and connective tissues supporting them. These conditions include urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse, when one or more pelvic organs slip downward from their normal position.
A woman might be embarrassed to tell anyone – even her physician – that she’s having such a problem. Still more common, Dr. Casiano said, is seeing women who have waited years to be evaluated because they thought their difficulties were a normal part of aging.
“They think it’s something they have to live with as they get older,” said Dr. Casiano, a clinical assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology in the Long School of Medicine at UT Health San Antonio. “A lot of older patients have stopped doing things because this is interfering. They really want to get back to their activities, the things they used to enjoy.”
Women should not feel alone in having these problems. Up to 40 percent of women will have enough symptoms of urinary incontinence or pelvic organ prolapse to merit medical evaluation and treatment, which usually brings significant relief.
The specialty was a natural fit for Dr. Casiano, who arrived in San Antonio as a child due to her father’s military service. He is also a gynecologist, and by the time she attended Incarnate Word High School, she knew that she wanted to be a physician, too. “I always give my dad credit for that because I used to go around with him on the weekend,” Dr. Casiano said. “He loved his job, and I was inspired by that.”
She went to Brown University, where she completed an eight-year combined program in liberal medical education. She received a bachelor’s degree in political science in 2000 and her medical degree in 2004.
From there, Dr. Casiano went to The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center for residency and the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., for a fellowship in female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery. She joined UT Medicine in 2011 and is one of two fellowship-trained urogynecologists in San Antonio.
“We are thrilled to have Dr. Casiano on our faculty and seeing patients of UT Medicine,” said Mark Funk, M.D., medical director of the UT Medicine obstetrics and gynecology clinic, located at the Medical Arts & Research Center (MARC). “The expertise she brings for the care of women with the most complicated pelvic organ prolapse and urinary problems is extraordinary. She is able to greatly improve the lives of women suffering from symptoms of these pelvic conditions.”
To schedule an appointment with Dr. Casiano or other UT Medicine obstetricians or gynecologists, call 210-450-9500.
