Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

An urogynecologist is a surgeon who has specialized in the care of women with pelvic floor disorders. An urogynecologist focuses on the pelvic floor, which is a set of muscles, ligaments and connective tissue in the lowest part of the pelvis that provides support for a woman’s internal organs, including the bowel, bladder, uterus, vagina and rectum.

A pelvic floor disorder occurs when women have weakened pelvic muscles or tears in the connective tissue due to excessive strain on the pelvis due to childbirth, repeated strenuous activity, menopause, chronic disease, or pelvic surgery. Other factors that can weaken the pelvic floor include repetitive heavy lifting, tobacco use, and genetics.

Urogynecologists are physicians who have completed medical school and a residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology or Urology. These physicians become specialists with additional years of fellowship training and certification in Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery. The training consists of providing expertise in the evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of conditions that affect the muscles and connective tissue of the female pelvic organs. These physicians are also knowledgeable on the latest research in the field pertaining to these conditions. It is recommended that your urogynecology of choice is Board-certified. Board certification in Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery means that the physician has passed an exam from the American Board of Obstetrics & Gynecology and American Board of Urology attesting that a physician has exceptional expertise in this particular specialty. The first board certification exam was in 2013. For physicians completing training after 2012, they must have participated in an accredited fellowship in order to be eligible for board certification.

Unfortunately pelvic floor disorders can affect women of any age, and can typically be found in women in their 20s to their 80s. Some women feel like they are too young to have issues or too old to do anything about their discomfort or pain. But regardless of age, pelvic health issues can be treated, and consulting with a trained urogynecologist is the first step in understanding your options and gaining back your freedom to enjoy life.

Despite the belief that pelvic floor disorders like prolapse or incontinence happens only to older women or those who have had children, pelvic health issues can happen to women of any age. Dr. Peter M. Lotze patients vary greatly by their age, ethnicity, where they live and the severity of their condition. But the one thing that is typical of common about all the patients that Dr. Peter M. Lotze cares for is the level of relief and freedom they achieve by going through a specialized and customized treatment program.

Although your primary care physician, OB/GYN, or urologist may have knowledge about pelvic floor problems, a urogynecologist can offer additional expertise. You should see an urogynecologist when you have problems of prolapse, and/or troublesome urinary or fecal incontinence or when your primary doctor recommends consultation. Other problems for which you or your doctor might think about consulting an urogynecologist include problems with emptying the bladder or rectum, pelvic pain or bladder pain, fistulas, and the need for special expertise in vaginal surgery.

The following are some problems that arise from damage to the pelvic floor:

1. Incontinence: loss of bladder or bowel control, leakage of urine or feces.
2. Prolapse: descent of pelvic organs; a bulge and/or pressure; ‘dropped uterus, bladder, vagina or rectum.’
3. Emptying Disorders: difficulty urinating or moving bowels.
4. Overactive Bladder: frequent need to void, bladder pressure, urgency, urge incontinence (difficulty holding back urine when having the urge to urinate)
5. Fistulas: abnormal hole between the vagina and rectum (rectovaginal), vagina and urethra (urethrovaginal), or vagina and the bladder (vesicovaginal)

Getting a consultation is the first step in getting you the answers you need to find a solution that is best.

Absolutely not. Surgery for some pelvic health conditions is a great option and will provide the relief that a woman seeks. In other cases, non-surgical options offer the best solution. Consulting with a Board certified urogynecologist would give you a better understanding of what is available and what the best treatment plan will be to achieve the results you desire.

Dr. Peter M. Lotze will review your medical history, read your vitals and do a physical exam to best understand your condition and your concerns. While the first visit may be different for each patient depending on her condition, Dr. Peter M. Lotze and his team will take the time, focus and attention to listen to your concerns and goals regarding your pelvic floor health.
For more details on your first visit, click here for details, or call us at 713-512-7810 and we would be happy to answer any question you may have.

With nearly 20 years of experience, and as Houston’s first fellowship-trained urogynecologist, Dr. Peter M. Lotze has successfully diagnosed and treated a wide range of urogynecology issues. He was one of the first urogynecologist to be board-certified by the American Board of Medical Subspecialties in his field. He believes in individualizing each patient’s treatment plan and offering a variety of options that may include both surgical and nonsurgical strategies. He also believes that his patients should play and equal an active role in determining the treatment options that they feel most comfortable pursuing. Dr. Peter M. Lotze is continually referred to by his medical colleagues and patients because of his results, his professionalism and compassion.

You will always see Dr. Peter M. Lotze for the initial, comprehensive consultation and at key appointments along the way depending upon the treatment plan. In addition, Dr. Peter M. Lotze team includes his medical assistants, his nurse practitioner (Annie Li) and his fellow, Dr. Holly Quillette.

Each member of his team place an important role in helping his patient’s achieved the goals. The medical assistants often assist with examinations and performance of some office tests. His nurse practitioner, Annie Li, sees patients in the office Monday through Friday for some follow-up visits in complete some testing patients may require during their evaluation. Dr. Ouillette also assists Dr. Peter M. Lotze both in his clinic and at the hospital during surgery. Dr. Peter M. Lotze team takes your health and your needs very seriously and work together to help you achieve the results you need.

Dr. Peter M. Lotze greatly respects the relationship that a patient has with her primary doctor or OBGYN physician, and realizes that his team’s involvement will be for a short period of time until the pelvic health treatment plan is finalized. He believes strongly in comprehensive care, so Dr. Peter M. Lotze regularly communicates the patient’s treatment plan and progress to the primary care provider and provides a smooth transition back to the primary’s care once all the pelvic health concerns have been addressed and solved. From time to time, follow-up visits will be necessary with the patient and those progress notes will also be sent to a woman’s physician and any other medical provider that she designates.

Dr. Peter M. Lotze and his team are located in Houston and Woodlands, Texas.

• Texas Medical Center Office
  • Address: 7900 Fannin St, Houston, TX 77054
  • Office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30AM – 5:00PM.
    • Dr. Lotze available on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 8:30AM – 5:00PM.
    • Nurse Practitioner available Monday through Friday from 8:30AM – 5:00PM.
• The Woodlands Office
  • Address: Professional Building #4, 9180 Pinecroft, Suite 250, Shenandoah, TX 77380
  • Office Hours: Nurse Practitioner available every Fridays from 8:30AM – 2:00PM.

To schedule an appointment, click here or call (713) 512-7810 and we would be happy to assist you.

Many women will experience a hormone imbalance and not even realize it. Symptoms can range from subtle to debilitating and are often masked by medications that are prescribed for anxiety, depression, insomnia, weight gain, and more.

For women, having one’s hormones checked regularly will reveal whether hormones are optimized and help avoid hormonal imbalance in a woman’s endocrine system. The good news is that BioTE® Medical’s method of bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) may help balance female hormones. Learn more about female hormones and the signs of hormonal imbalance by contacting our office for an appointment with Dr. Peter Lotze or Alice Hollaway, NP.

Hormone imbalance in women can occur as part of the natural aging process and may reflect genetic predispositions for certain conditions. However, hormone balance is affected by the food we eat, exercising and the amount of stress we experience.

The endocrine system is a series of glands that produce and disseminate hormones throughout the body. A woman’s hormones do a lot more than just regulate mood and sexuality—they can determine whether an individual will be at risk for elevated blood sugar, decreased bone density, and thyroid problems.

When a hormonal imbalance in a woman’s endocrine system occurs, it can cause a variety of problems.

When a female has a hormone imbalance in their endocrine system, they can develop symptoms that range from subtle to debilitating. This means that there is either too much or too little of a woman’s hormones being produced somewhere within the endocrine system. Symptoms of a hormonal imbalance in women include heavy, irregular, or uncomfortable periods, decreased bone density, hot flashes and night sweats, vaginal dryness, breast tenderness, indigestion, and constipation or diarrhea.

There are three paths when choosing a course of medical treatment for hormone imbalance in women. The first is doing nothing to optimize hormones and hoping that the patient will feel better. The second is the conventional medicine route and being suggesting treatment options that mask a woman’s symptoms. The third is to consider optimizing hormones with a certified BioTE® provider. Patients report that one of the most effective methods of regaining hormonal balance they have tried is through bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) pellets. Pellets can be inserted in a few minutes. Within four to six weeks after a pellet insertion, bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) begins to work. The pellets supply bioidentical hormones that match those produced by the body and last three to six months.

There are many benefits to bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) for men. Learn how to find out if your hormones are balanced and how BioTE® Medical’s method of hormone replacement therapy for men may help.

BioTE® Medical provides training on bioidentical hormone replacement therapy for medical providers across the U.S., and internationally, so they can help their patients feel their best at any age. Our thousands of certified BioTE® providers nationwide are available to help patients age healthier, live happier, and feel our best using bioidentical hormone replacement therapy.

Pellets used for male BHRT are custom-compounded hormones. Certified BioTE® providers use high-quality and reliable outsourcing facilities. In an in-office appointment, these pellets are inserted subcutaneously in a patient’s upper buttocks. Within two to four weeks after a pellet insertion, the hormone therapy for men may begin to alleviate unwanted symptoms.

Bioidentical hormone replacement for men may help any man whose hormones are out of balance. Hormone imbalance frequently occurs as we age. However, there are instances like hypogonadism that can occur at any age.

Hormone therapy for men can take the form of patches, creams, pills, or pellets, all containing testosterone. The BioTE® method of bioidentical hormone replacement for men uses pellets and may be able to help with many different symptoms commonly associated with hormonal imbalance.

Bioidentical hormones are identical to those present in the human body, and closely resemble the molecular structure of human hormones.

Hormone therapy for men has been a common practice to cope with symptoms of aging for decades. Male bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) may help men feel like themselves again. It may also help men who have always suffered from unbalanced hormones feel like themselves for the first time. Male hormone replacement may also be able to lower the severity of ailments not directly associated with reproductive symptoms. BioTE® Medical has helped many patients with our unique approach to hormone therapy for men using pellet hormone therapy.

Take our hormone imbalance quiz at the top of the page and contact Peter M. Lotze MD today to begin changing your life.

Hormones are made by glands that belong to the endocrine system in the human body. The main glands are the hypothalamus, the thyroid, the thymus, the pancreas, the adrenals, the pituitary gland, the pineal gland, the ovaries and the testes.

Hormones are responsible for beginning and ending most processes within the body. They are a particular kind of molecule called a signaling molecule produced within the body to regulate physiology. Every hormone plays complicated roles within the body, but to simplify them: there are sex hormones, immune hormones, sleep hormones, stress hormones, growth hormones, cardiac associated hormones, digestive hormones, and Vitamin D (Yes, this is a hormone!). Sex hormones include testosterone, estrogen and progesterone. This is not a complete or comprehensive list of hormones and their functions.

Pellet therapy may not be covered by your insurance provider. However, pellet therapy, especially when compared to the cost of treatment for the myriad conditions it lessens and prevents, is very cost-effective as well as natural.

The BHRT pellet insertion process is straightforward, fast, and simple. First schedule a new patient consult to test your current hormone levels. Based on your comprehensive consultation and thorough blood work panel, we will determine if you are a candidate for BioTE® pellet therapy. Then a quick follow-up appointment will be scheduled for your unique pellet therapy insertion.

BHRT pellets are subcutaneous implants that are inserted into the hip area. They are made of custom compounded hormones and natural binders to hold them together. The hormones are compounded in one of two pharmacies in the United States that are licensed FDA outsourcing centers and are held to strict standards. Every batch of hormones is tested for consistency, purity and comes with our guarantee that our patients are being provided the best possible therapy to help their healing.

BHRT stands for bio-identical hormone replacement therapy. What does that mean? Bio-identical refers to how molecularly similar the supplemental hormone is to the human hormone. Other supplemental hormones such as the ones administered by conventional physicians are not bio-identical. Bio-identicals are derived from plants while synthetic hormones are derived from animals. Hormone replacement therapy is the purpose of the bio-identical hormones. People who lack certain hormones or who have too much of a certain hormone may benefit from BHRT.

This will vary depending on the treatment plan recommended by your provider. Avoid inserting anything into the treatment area for 24-48 hours following the procedure.

FemiLift is a virtually painless procedure with no numbing needed. However, some individuals may be more sensitive in the treatment area due to certain medical conditions. If need, we do offer a topical numbing cream which is applied in the office prior to the start of the procedure.

FemiLift is an in office procedure without anesthesia or surgery. It is a fast, 10-15 minute treatment.

During your consultation, your provider will assess your skin to personalize a treatment plan for you. Best results are typically seen after three treatments, although noticeable improvements may be seen after one treatment. Following the initial series of treatments, it is recommended to follow-up once a year for treatment to maintain optimal benefit.

Women that suffer from vaginal irregularities and structural changes due to childbirth, age, or a variety of other reasons, such as painful intercourse, stress urinary incontinence, recurring UTIs, vaginal laxity and dryness.

The FemiLift treatment is performed by inserting a probe into the vagina with a 360-degree rotation capability that delivers laser energy to tighten the vaginal mucosa.

FemiLift is a breakthrough technology using a CO2 laser to deliver fractionated light and thermal energy to assist in vaginal mucosa revitalization.