Personalized health care arises from the fact that there is usually more than one way to treat a medical condition. Patients are people, and people have different needs and expectations. What is acceptable treatment for one patient may be unacceptable for the next.
Our mission is to provide women with all the options available to them and to administer contemporary medical care based on sound medical evidence.
If you would like to learn more, please call 729-5805 for a consultation.
We like to see our patients early. The reasons are because we want to accurately determine how many weeks you are, many patients have questions or problems early in pregnancy, and some patients have had problems in previous pregnancies that should be addressed early in subsequent pregnancies. So if you miss a period or have a positive home pregnancy test, give us a call. We’ll probably schedule you around 6 weeks from the first day of your last period. Congratulations, and start taking prenatal vitamins if you weren’t on them before.
Bacterial Vaginosis (BV) is an overgrowth of the bacteria normally found in the vagina. It is NOT a sexually transmitted disease. Symptoms may include discharge, odor (especially after intercourse), or irritation. Treatment is usually with an oral antibiotic or with a vaginal antibiotic cream.
Most yeast infections are not because of any specific reason. However, using antibiotics for an unrelated infection, having a weakened immune system (i.e. during pregnancy), or taking certain medications that weaken your immune system will increase your chance of getting a yeast infection. Symptoms usually include white discharge, itching, and inflammation. Treatment is usually with a vaginal anti-fungal cream or with an oral anti-fungal. It’s fine to try an over the counter cream.
Pap smear is a screening test for cervical dysplasia. Cervical dysplasia is caused by Human Papilloma Virus. There are many types of HPV, and most people have been exposed to HPV. With certain types of HPV, exposure can lead to high grade cervical lesions and even cancer if left untreated for a long time. That’s why many people with abnormal Paps or high risk HPV will have a colposcopy to look for the specific cervical lesion and take a very small biopsy. Most low grade cervical lesions will regress on their own, returning to normal. High grade lesions, which are far less common will need to be removed by LEEP, which is done in the office.
Endometrial biopsy is usually a quick and simple way of taking a sample of the uterine lining. It’s done in the office to rule out abnormalities of the endometrium, such as hyperplasia and cancer. Hyperplasia is an overgrowth of normal appearing endometrial cells that if left untreated may progress to cancer. Reasons we do endometrial biopsies include abnormal bleeding patterns, thickened endometrium, post menopausal bleeding, etc. We usually suggest patients take ibuprofen prior to their appointment to minimize cramping.
We often find small ovarian cysts on ultrasound when patients have pelvic pain. As long as these cysts are small and appear “simple”, we will probably just suggest repeating an ultrasound in 6-8 weeks. Most will go away, and need no treatment other than a mild pain reliever/anti-inflammatory. Cysts that are large or “complex” will need more extensive follow up, and possibly surgery (usually laparoscopy).
