A Team Approach to Healing Manchester Woman’s Pelvic Organ Prolapse

Celina Kusznier, a retired human resources professional originally from Germany, was going through a very difficult time after suddenly losing her husband, Gene.

Navigating life alone in Manchester Township, NJ, left her dealing with heavy grief and severe anxiety. Even driving over the highway bridge felt overwhelming. Then, a health crisis made things even harder.

Celina developed severe pelvic organ prolapse. Her bladder, uterus and rectum had dropped. Because of this, she could not empty her bladder for most of the day, and trapped urine began backing up into her left kidney.

Finding the Right Support

At first, Celina wore a removable device called a pessary to manage the prolapse. But it was no longer working well. She needed a permanent solution, but she was terrified of surgery. Specifically, she had a deep fear of anesthesia and worried she would not wake up.

She scheduled an appointment with Laurie A Kane, M.D., a urogynecologist at Hackensack Meridian Southern Ocean Medical Center. Dr. Kane recognized Celina's fear right away and was determined to support her through the process.

"The minute I met her, I just liked the way she conducted herself, the way she treated me, and I became very comfortable with her," Celina recalls.

Over the next five months, they had two separate surgery consultations. Dr. Kane even had Celina’s daughter join a session by phone from Texas so the whole family could ask questions.

"I feel it is very important to individualize patient care," Dr. Kane says. "I knew she was uncomfortable with the prolapse and that conservative treatment with the pessary was not going to work for much longer. She would need surgery. It was important to let her come to that conclusion on her own terms."

Overcoming the Fear of Surgery

To help with Celina’s fear of anesthesia, Dr. Kane requested a special consultation. Marco Caruso, M.D., an anesthesiologist, called Celina the day before her surgery.

“What I do first is ask the patient what it is they fear. You need to try to put yourself in their position, digesting what is their understanding of what is happening,” Dr. Caruso explains. “They have to realize that you feel their fears are valid in order to be able to convince them that you are allaying their fears, rather than dismissing them as unfounded.”

"He spent as much time as he needed to learn about my anxieties," Celina says. "Now I'm not alone. Now there is somebody that knows, and he's on my side."

On the day of the procedure, the staff at Southern Ocean Medical Center stepped in to keep Celina calm, and they also made sure her son felt comfortable in the waiting area.

"The nurses in perioperative care go out of their way to make sure each patient is getting not just medical care, but also emotional support," Dr. Kane says. "So many of our patients are anxious prior to surgery, and the pre-op nurses will explain each step to the patient to help alleviate that anxiety."

A "150% Better" Outcome

The surgery was a complete success. Today, Celina’s prolapse symptoms are gone. She can urinate normally, and she is able to walk and enjoy her daily activities without discomfort.

"I'm back to normal," Celina says. "My outlook on this has improved. I feel 150% better."

For Dr. Kane, helping patients like Celina get their lives back is the best part of the job. Because Southern Ocean Medical Center is a smaller community hospital, everyone takes a personal stake in their patients' health.

"The staff truly care about the patients," Dr. Kane says. "The thing I find the most rewarding is hearing from the patients at the two-week post-op visit. The anxiety is gone, and they reflect on their experience. Nearly every patient says they feel better than they were expecting."

Next Steps & Resources

• Meet our source: Laurie A Kane, M.D., and Marco Caruso, M.D. 
• Learn more about women’s health services at Hackensack Meridian Health. 

The material provided through Healthier You is intended to be used as general information only and should not replace the advice of your physician. Always consult your physician for individual care.