Between performing surgeries, raising twin 12-year-old daughters, and squeezing in tennis matches, Dr. Rowena DeSouza has mastered the art of balance. Though she’ll be the first to admit it’s never perfect. As Memphis’ only female urologist specializing in women’s pelvic health, Dr. Souzsa has built her career around helping women reclaim theirs.

“When I moved to Memphis 11 years ago, I noticed a real lack of emphasis on women’s health, yet there was such a need. It became a focus and passion for me,” she explains, as a new mom at the time, dealing with her own pelvic floor issues.

Nearly 98% of her patients are women, with the top three concerns being incontinence, recurring urinary tract infections, and pelvic floor prolapse — her specialties. The latter affects every aspect of a woman’s life and is more common than many realize.

Over the past decade, Dr. DeSouza has steadily been changing the narrative on women’s most intimate parts of their health. Although general awareness and literature on the subject matter have increased, most patients who come to her still think the discomfort and pain are in their head because of physician responses in the past, or that major surgery is the only option.

“There are conservative options, such as pelvic floor therapy,” Dr. DeSouza offers, noting it can help with pain during intercourse, constipation, voiding dysfunction, and preventing the worsening of prolapse, if caught early enough.

For the doctor, having a patient come in thinking of their symptoms as a life sentence and being shown a solution is not only life-changing for her patients but also personally rewarding.

“It’s a hard thing to talk about, and is a very personal, humbling sort of experience,” she says of patients thanking her for taking the time to truly listen to them. She is also quick to credit the team, including her assistant, Michelle, who is “dedicated to making patients feel comfortable and heard.”

Just as she makes space to listen to patients, Dr. DeSouza has her own circle of people who listen to her. Surrounded by a village of supportive friends and family, and grounded by a no-stress attitude, she can navigate the demands of medicine and motherhood with unparalleled grace.

“It helps having a group of friends you can talk to and bounce ideas off of, and a husband who is hands-on doing everything I’m doing in the best way he can as well,” the surgeon explains. “Not everything will be perfect, but we try to have a happy lifestyle while not stressing too much about it, so the kids see mom and dad trying to be healthy without sacrificing other aspects of life.”

Dr. DeSouza and her husband, a spinal neurosurgeon, met during medical school in Nashville 25 years ago. After completing their residencies and welcoming children at 38, Dr. DeSouza decided to focus on increasing her physical activity. The family snowboards in the winter and swims in the summer. Additionally, Dr. Souzsa plays tennis year-round with her close-knit group of girlfriends and does restorative stretching at Hot Yoga Plus on the weekends. “I have a lot of exercise equipment in my house,” she says, aiming for 30 minutes daily of a heart-rate increasing activity, plus weight-based exercises.

“I’ve tried joining gyms in the past and failed. This lifestyle has been what makes sense and has been most successful for me,” she explains. “My goal is not anything other than to be healthy for my kids, have a long career, travel with my husband, and enjoy doing these activities together.”

HELPFUL TIPS FOR WOMEN:
1. Don’t delay going to the bathroom.
2. Relax the bladder and pelvic floor to ensure you are emptying the bladder completely.
3. Stay hydrated during the day, and avoid fluids before bedtime.
4. Try to manage constipation.
5. Incorporate core and pelvic floor exercises into your workouts to strengthen the area.
6. Manage your weight, as obesity affects the pelvic floor and can add pressure and strain on the bladder.

Dr. Rowena is currently accepting new patients. To schedule your appointment, please visit:

The Urology Group
memphisurology.com
901.767.8158