Shilpa Iyer, MD, MPH

UChicago Faculty Physicians

Shilpa Iyer, MD, MPH

Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology

My name is Shilpa Iyer. I am a urogynecologist in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. I've been in practice for about 10 years now. I did my residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Brigham and Women's and Mass General. And then I returned to Chicago, my home, for fellowship and female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery.

I tried not to become a physician for many years. And I worked in public health at community health centers. I found myself-- I did a lot of data analysis, program development. And I love what I did and my colleagues. But I found myself sitting in front of a computer way too much. And I missed talking to people. And I wanted to work in women's health and take care of women, you know, throughout their lifetime. And focus on both primary care as well surgery. So we do both of those things and that is what inspired me to go back to medical school.

As a specialist in female pelvic medicine, I do surgery for prolapse, which is when things are falling out, as well as incontinence. When you're peeing on yourself when you don't want to-- for both peeing and pooping. And we do that day in and day out.

We fix fistulas. We do complex surgery. I'm willing to take on things. But we also-- I have a special interest in overactive bladder, where we have kind of new technology that's been coming out very exciting in the last five years. So we do Botox in the clinic for this.

We also have been putting in pacemakers. So I put wire leads in your back and put in a pacemaker to help with your bowel and bladder control. And we have that new technology that just came out last year. So that's very exciting. And I love to do that because it's simple, and it's effective, and it works well. And we do it-- we do it a lot.

When I take care of patients and we succeed-- like we fix prolapse, which is actually easy to fix. Or peeing on yourself. And people are free, and they can go out and about in their day to day lives. It just means there's that warmth, and that connection, and that feeling of, we did it together, and you can be happy.

Most of the time, patients come to me and they've been suffering for years and years and years and they just think it's normal. Or everyone's told them to suck it up. And there's a better life out there. And we get there every day.

Shilpa Iyer, MD, MPH, is a gynecologist with advanced training in female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery. She provides treatment for women with pelvic organ prolapse, both stress and urgency urinary incontinence, overactive bladder, urinary tract infections, and voiding dysfunction. She has advanced training and expertise in vaginal surgery and minimally invasive gynecology techniques, including laparoscopy and robotic surgery.

Dr. Iyer provides care for patients with complex pelvic floor needs, including mesh complications, fistula, and abnormalities of the vaginal and urinary tract. She collaborates closely with colorectal surgery, urology, pelvic floor physical therapy, and gastroenterology to provide comprehensive care for women with pelvic floor disorders as part of our Center for Pelvic Health. She also has a clinical focus on advanced treatments for overactive bladder including Botox (OnabotulinumA) injections and sacroneuromodulation.

Dr. Iyer has additional research training in epidemiology and biostatistics. She leads research within the section with a personal focus on access to care, dissemination of current therapy, and clinical outcome measures. She publishes scientific articles in high-impact journals, mentors trainees, leads national and international workshops, and often presents at scientific meetings. Dr. Iyer is committed to delivering high-quality, cutting-edge care for all patients.

Board Certifications

  • Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery

Memberships & Medical Societies

  • American Urogynecologic Society
  • International Urogynecological Association

Practicing Since

  • 2014

Languages Spoken

  • English

Medical Education

  • University of Illinois College of Medicine

Residency

  • Brigham and Women's Hospital

Fellowship

  • University of Chicago Medicine

Other Grad Education

  • University of Illinois at Chicago

News & Research

View Published Papers
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At The Forefront Live: Pelvic Health Disorders

Reproductive and urologic health can be a cause for concern for many women. Often, the topic of prolapse, incontinence and pelvic health is not discussed until a patient has already experienced symptoms. Dr. Dianne Glass and Dr. Shilpa Iyer explain.

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