GYNECOLOGIC CARE
Our practice was among the first in the nation to offer in-office treatments for formerly hospital-only therapeutic procedures. Treatments such as thermal endometrial ablations and Essure sterilizations are now offered in our office. Our goal is to reduce patient costs while maintaining the same degree of safety and success as if the procedure was performed in the hospital.
Our Gynecologic Care includes:
In-Office Treatment for Heavy Menstrual Bleeding
Many women have significant problems with heavy menstrual bleeding. Historically, if they had finished having children, they were recommended to have a hysterectomy. Even though we are now able to perform these laparoscopically, speeding recovery, it is still major surgery.
Since the endometrium, a thin lining of the uterus, is responsible for the menstrual cycle, elimination (or ablation) of this tissue stops the bleeding.
Endometrial ablation methods such as Thermachoice, HerOption & Novasure have been relieving women of heavy bleeding for over a decade now, and all three are offered in our office – unique in North Carolina.
Our patients are in and out of the office in an hour or less, and describe at most minimal discomfort, due to our extensive experience with local anesthetics. The costs are also dramatically reduced, with costs hundreds to thousands less than the same procedures done at the hospital. Many privately insured patients only pay an office copay of $30-50 with the procedure expense covered by Medicaid and Medicare.
Recovery simply involves 1-2 days of rest afterwards then return to all normal activities, with none of the lifting restrictions and wound healing issues of hysterectomy.
Thermal Endometrial Ablations
We are very excited be a be one of the very few groups in North Carolina to offer endometrial ablation in our office In fact we were the first in the state to perform the gold standard THERMACHOICE in our office in 2006. Soon thereafter we added 2 other ablation technologies – NOVASURE and HER OPTION – to allow us to optimally treat the widest range of patients.
The beauty of this option for the patients is cost and time savings. When the procedure is done in the office, insured patients (including Medicaid) only pay an office visit co-pay, which is rarely more than $50. The total time involved from check-in to checkout is only 1 hour, sometimes less. The procedure itself takes between 2 – 20 minutes, depending on the method. Unlike a hospital procedure, patients are encouraged to eat lightly before coming in and may have a friend or family member in the room with them if they choose.
Due to the medications we use, the procedure itself is virtually painless, but there may be some cramping afterwards, which we provide prescriptions to treat. Most patients will be back to full normal activities in 48-72 hours.
Essure Sterilizations
This form of sterilization requires a procedure in which we permanently place small Essure inserts in the fallopian tubes. These inserts are made of materials which include nickel-titanium alloy, so the procedure is not recommended for anyone allergic to nickel since they may have an allergic reaction to the inserts. These inserts will work with your body and form a natural barrier preventing sperm from reaching eggs. You should still use another form of birth control during the time the natural barrier is forming.
Pap Smears
A Pap Smear or Pap Test is a screening for cervical cancer. The screening procedure tests for the presence of any precancerous or cancerous cells on the cervix. This test is performed annually.
Management of Abnormal Pap Smears
The most common reason for an abnormal pap smear result is an infection with HPV or human papillomavirus. There are various types of HPV and some of these types are linked to cancer of the cervix, vulva, vagina, anus and some are even linked to cancer of the head and neck. Often if you have abnormal pap smear results you will require further testing.
Evaluation & Management of Menopausal Issues
We offer consultation about any Menopausal issues you may be suffering, including but not limited to: irregular menses, hot flashes, vaginal dryness, and more. We also offer Hormone Replacement Therapy as well to help relieve Menopause symptoms.
Urinary Urgency and Incontinence
Urinary Urgency is a sudden urge to urinate that tends to get worse with age. It’s often associated with polyuria, interstitial cystitis, nocturia and urinary incontinence. When the urge is uncontrollable it is then defined as urinary incontinence.
Urinary Incontinence (UI) is the complete loss of bladder control. Symptoms of UI can range from mild leaking to uncontrollable wetting. It can happen to anyone, but it becomes more common with age. Women experience UI twice as often as men. Most bladder control problems happen when muscles are too weak or too active.
