Meet Colin Johnson MD

Women’s Care of Wisconsin is proud to announce that Dr. Colin Johnson has joined the team. A fellowship-trained Urogynecologist and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgeon, Dr. Colin Johnson specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of pelvic floor disorders. He provides advanced medical and surgical treatments for a variety of conditions including pelvic organ prolapse, urinary and fecal incontinence, recurrent UTIs, and many more.

This quick Q & A will help you get to know Dr. Johnson, who will see patients in our Appleton location at 3232 N Ballard Road.

Can you describe the journey that led you to Women’s Care of Wisconsin?

I’m originally from Kohler, Wisconsin, grew up there, went to high school there, then went to Grinnell College in Iowa and started as a math major. But I knew I wanted to do medicine. My parents were physicians and they both had very rewarding careers, so I knew I was going to make that happen. I did med school and residency at Medical College of Wisconsin, then was a general OB/GYN in Minnesota while my wife did her dermatology fellowship. She’s originally from Appleton, so coming back home just made sense.

What services will you be offering at Women’s Care of Wisconsin?

So I’m a little different from all the other providers at Women’s Care. I’m a urogynecologist, which is a relatively newer specialty that’s essentially a subspecialty of OB/GYN. We specialize in the treatment of pelvic floor disorders. Though I’m a board-certified OB/GYN, I will focus exclusively on urogynecologic patients at Women’s Care.

What are some of the pelvic disorders you treat?

I do both medical and surgical treatments for urinary incontinence, fecal incontinence, urinary retention or voiding dysfunction, recurrent UTI’s and many more. One of the most common disorders I treat is pelvic organ prolapse, where one or more organs drop from their normal position due to a lack of pelvic floor support. Despite the fact that it’s quite common, pelvic organ prolapse is a condition that still isn’t talked about very much.

What causes pelvic organ prolapse?

The most common cause for pelvic organ prolapse and most other pelvic floor disorders is vaginal childbirth.

What kinds of treatments are offered for common pelvic floor disorders like pelvic organ prolapse and urinary incontinence?

Pelvic floor disorders are almost always quality of life issues. When I see patients, I like to educate them on the many options that are available and give them the autonomy to choose what’s best for them. There are many conservative, medical and surgical approaches to treating pelvic floor disorders. I encourage my patients to make their choice based on how much it affects their daily life. In some cases, patients will choose not to do anything at all, kind of a wait and watch approach, and that is very reasonable. For those who find their issue very bothersome, there are a number of things we can do to significantly improve their quality of life. And I find that very rewarding.

Okay, now let’s hear about you in a non-medical way.

My wife and I have a three-year old and a five-month-old, so let’s just say we are always pretty busy. But now that we are back in Appleton, we have a ton of family around, which is so nice. Some other things about me: I played tennis collegiately at Grinnell (and still try to play racquet sports when I can); I love to cook (I stick with simple, healthy meals); I enjoy reading, especially fantasy novels (Have you read The Will of the Many?); and I’m always up for playing a board game with my wife (Settlers of Catan is a favorite).

One final thought?

So many of things I help patients with are concerns they once thought were just part of getting older. They were embarrassed about it, so they didn’t talk about it, not with friends and not with family. By seeking answers—which is a courageous thing to do—they learned that there are so many treatments available to them, and that they didn’t have to suffer in silence.