Dr. Gerald Frankel, M.D., F.A.C.S.

Dr. Frankel is a native of New Jersey. He earned his medical degree at Hahnemann Medical College in Philadelphia and completed specialized training in urology at Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse, New York. He has received special certification in laser surgery and has written a number of articles on urological treatments with a special focus on laparoscopic procedures. His videotape on Extra Peritoneal Laparoscopic Bladder Neck Suspension is in the video library of the American College of Surgeons (ACS). He has addressed the annual meetings of the American College of Surgeons and the American Urological Association (AUA) in laparoscopic bladder surgery.

Dr. Frankel is certified by the American Board of Urology and is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He is also a member of the American Urology Association, Texas Medical Association, Texas Urological Association, International Continence Society, Urodynamic Society, Collin County Medical Society, Society of Urodynamics and Female Urology, and American Urogynececology Society

Dr. Frankel practiced in Indianapolis for ten years before moving with his family to North Texas. He has been in practice here since 1985. His continued education and training through seminars and associations means you are always receiving the most advanced care.

Less Invasive Surgery for Stress Urinary Incontinence

Over 25 years ago, Dr. Frankel began doing traditional surgery for stress incontinence. The results were excellent, but approximately half the patients were disinterested in surgery for various reasons, but the most significant was the long recovery.

After the development of less invasive and laparoscopic surgery, a general surgeon, Dr. Manit Kantipong, and Dr. Frankel developed video assisted extraperitoneal laparoscopic bladder neck suspension and cystocoele repair (VELBNS) in 1992. The results were outstanding. However, technology marches on. Another procedure known as the pubo-vaginal sling appeared very promising. Numerous approaches were developed in this country and abroad, but most of the approaches had significant problems. The TVT pubo-vaginal sling was developed in Sweden, and only recently became available in the United States.

The TVT procedure has revolutionized stress incontinence repair for grade 1 incontinence, which is explained in Dr. Frankel's stress incontinence classification system. However, this leaves more than 50 percent of women in need of a more extensive repair. VELBNS, TVT, and other less invasive procedures can successfully repair the remaining patients.

Throughout the years, Dr. Frankel has operated on over 1,500 women with excellent results. Although surgery and technology are in a state of flux, Dr. Frankel believes that, for the time being, this approach will be state-of-the-art for the foreseeable future.