the treatment of incontinence and prolapse
About A/Prof. Dowling
Associate Professor Caroline Dowling graduated from the University of Melbourne in 1994, the top student at the Royal Melbourne Hospital Clinical School.
She completed her Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in Urology in 2003.
She then completed post fellowship training in neuro-urology and incontinence at the Royal Melbourne Hospital.
Whilst working at Melbourne Health (the Royal Melbourne Hospital), and Southern Health (now Monash Health) urology departments as a consultant urologist and as a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Surgery at Monash University, she completed a post fellowship training year in urogynaecology.
Leading
Urological
Surgeon
Leadership
Associate Professor Dowling was the Clinical Director of the Urology Unit at Eastern Health for 6 years and is now the Co-Director of Medical Student Programs at Eastern Health where she oversees the training and mentoring of medical students for Monash and Deakin Universities.
She works as a clinician in the Urology department at Eastern Health and as a academic at the Eastern Health Clinical School.
She has a clinical interest in urinary incontinence, pelvic floor dysfunction and prolapse, neurological conditions that affect the bladder and their diagnosis and management.
She teaches and writes and is a strong advocate of flexible training pathways for training surgeons in urology.
Professional Profile
Associate Professor Dowling is a member of;
- The Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand
- the Continence Foundation of Australia,
- the International Continence Society and
- the Society of Urodynamics and Female Pelvic Medicine and Urogenital Reconstruction (SUFU).
She is a reviewer for international journals such as Neurourology and Urodynamics and is widely published in Urological journals and has written book chapters. She presents and chairs at local and international urological scientific meetings.
She is a founding member of "A Woman's Urologist" a website aimed at empowering women to learn more about the treatments and assessment available for their incontinence and prolapse. This has been crucial since the findings of the Senate Inquiry into Transvaginal Mesh and related issues to which Associate Professor Dowling made a submission on behalf of USANZ.
Career Interests
Associate Professor Dowling has a long term interest in both simple and video urodynamic studies leading to expert diagnosis of bladder disorders in men, women and young adults.
She offers both mesh and non-mesh alternatives for the treatment of stress incontinence and prolapse and is expert and one of Australia's leading providers of bulking agents, a minimally invasive day case procedure, for stress incontinence.
She is passionate about all aspects of urological care and offer investigation (urodynamics) and treatment from adolescence to later life especially in the management of incontinence.
More recently Associate Professor Dowling has appeared as the subject of an article in The Australian newspaper about women in surgery.
Practice Locations
Associate Professor Dowling practices in general urology, neurourology and female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery in private practice, based principally in the Malvern and Box Hill areas.
She operates at;
- Cabrini Hospital Malvern,
- Epworth Eastern and
- Epworth Hawthorn
- Epworth Freemasons.
Her public appointments have also included Melbourne Health (Royal Melbourne Hospital) where she set up multidisciplinary clinics for female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery, continued to develop the neuro-urology service and the transition of young adults with complex congenital urology conditions and has worked for more than 15 years.
Associate Professor Dowling is a member of USANZ, the Continence Foundation of Australia, the International Continence Society and the Society of Urodynamics and Female Pelvic Medicine and Urogenital Reconstruction (SUFU).
Downloads
General Urological Information
Urinary Incontinence
Procedures
New Patients
The information contained here is intended for new patients who have been referred to Associate Professor Dowling.
Please read and complete these documents as best you can and bring them to your appointment. If you have any questions, please call the rooms on 9188 3690.
Understanding Us
Mission Statement
At our practice our mission is to provide compassionate and comprehensive care in the field of Urology.
We are dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for patients by offering state-of-the-art medical interventions, shared decision making, and empowering our patients through education and support.
Vision Statement
Our vision is to be a leading practice in Urology, known for being at the forefront of diagnosis and management of urological conditions and participating actively in advancing in patient care, research, and education.
We aspire to create a collaborative environment where our team works seamlessly to deliver innovative solutions, improve outcomes, and positively impact the well-being of the patients we care for.
Values
- Patient-Centred Care: We put patients first, prioritising their needs and preferences, encourage open communication, shared decision making and involving patients as partners in their healthcare journey.
- Compassion: We approach each patient with empathy, understanding the sensitive nature of functional urology, and strive to provide comfort, respect, and unwavering support.
- Expertise and Innovation: We are committed to staying at the forefront of medical advancements and employing the latest technologies and techniques to ensure the highest quality of care and outcomes for our patients.
- Collaboration and Teamwork: Our team believes in the power of collaboration, working seamlessly across disciplines to provide holistic and individualized treatment plans for each patient in conjunction with other specialists. We also prioritise the needs and care of our great staff.
- Education and Advocacy: We are dedicated to educating our patients, other healthcare professionals, and the community about urological and female pelvic health issues. We advocate for women's health, indigenous health, contribute to public awareness, research initiatives, and policy discussions to advance the field.
By embodying these values, A/Prof Dowling and staff strive to be a trusted partner in the health and wellness of patients, providing exemplary care with compassion, expertise, and innovation.
Appointment, fees and services information
A/Prof Dowling sees patients at Malvern Hill Consulting in Malvern Rd Toorak and in The Epworth Eastern Consulting Suites in Box Hill every week.
Due to demand, we can only see patients with private health insurance that covers hospital care. We ask that you send your referral for review so we can prioritise your care appropriately and have you seen as soon as possible. We ask most patients to fill in a questionnaire and do a bladder diary.
Fees for initial consultation
| Fees | Full | Pensioner | Telehealth Full | Telehealth Pensioner | Other/Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Consult | $350 | $200 | $250 | $150 | $350 |
| Review Consult | $160 | $100 | $100 | $70 | $150 |
* Fees for all procedures are quoted prior to procedure for your review and are those recommended by the Australian Medical Association (AMA).
For patients without insurance, we suggest seeing a urologist for a small out of pocket at the Australian Prostate Centre.
Patients with urological diagnoses that are not prostate cancer and of all genders are seen expertly there and A/Prof Dowling assisted with the clinics set up. Alternatively find another like-minded practitioner to A/Prof Dowling on www.awomansurologist.com.au, those listed urologists see patients of all genders.
Urological nursing services are provided by A/Prof Dowling’s expert nursing team as per the download with services and costs listed.
A/Prof Dowling also highly recommends and supports the nursing staff at the continence clinic at Cabrini Malvern.
