Minor Gynecologic Surgical Procedures

Her Healthcare provides the following Minor Gynecologic Surgical Procedures in the comfort of our office:

• Biopsy of Skin Lesions
• Colposcopy (evaluation of abnormal pap smears) and Cervical Biopsy
• Endometrial Ablation Procedure (to control heavy, prolonged vaginal bleeding)
• Endometrial Biopsy
• Hysteroscopy (Technique used to look inside the uterus)
• Incision and Draining of Abscesses
• IUD Insertion and/or Removal
• LEEP Procedure (Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure removes abnormal cells from the cervix)
• Pessary Fitting and Insertion
• Polyp Removal

Potassium Sensitivity Testing

Her Healthcare offers Potassium Sensitivity Testing (PST) to test women for Interstitial Cystitis (IC). Common symptoms of IC include: pelvic pain, urinary urgency and frequency. Other symptoms of IC which are not universally recognized as being associated with the bladder include: lower back pain, leg pain, and even painful intercourse.

Potassium Sensitivity Testing allows us to diagnose IC at an early stage, thus increasing the chance of a successful treatment.

Bladders normally have water-tight linings, but the lining in a patient with IC becomes porous–allowing particles such as potassium present in the urine to seep into the muscle. This causes inflammation of the tissue, irritation of the nerves, and the transmission of pain.

Your provider at Her Healthcare will provide you with dietary modifications, medicine, and a regimen to get the pain under control to help you return your bladder lining to normal.

It is no longer necessary to suffer from such “female problems” in silence or whispers. Talk to your provider at Her Healthcare. We understand the feminine prospective and are only a phone call away from helping you!

Bladder Problems Services

Her Healthcare is here to help you. Too often we women live with bladder control problems for years, instead of seeking medical help as soon as possible. A vaguely whispered “female problems” used to cover a multitude of symptoms and disorders. Often bladder control problems may be a symptom of a serious medical problem, such as multiple sclerosis, or diabetes. Just living with the “problem” can have a negative impact on your life, too: it can cause you to restrict your activities or even to curtail your social activities and friendships. You can also increase your chances of serious injury if you have balance problems and continually have to rush to the rest room.

Just a few incidences of bladder control problems does not require medical attention, but if the problem is frequent enough to make you uncomfortable going out or doing activities you enjoy, then you should seek the advice of one of our healthcare providers here at Her Healthcare. We can diagnose and treat a multitude of bladder control problems including Over Active Bladder (OAB), urinary incontinence, or Interstitial Cystitis (IC).

Her Healthcare understands and we are here to help you. If you are having difficulties with incontinence, please call us–it won’t get better until we can diagnose it and work with you to discover the best plan of treatment for you.

Vaginal Birth after Cesarean

Just because you’ve had a Cesarean section (C-section) with a previous pregnancy doesn’t mean you have to have another one with your next pregnancy. At Her Healthcare if you desire a vaginal birth subsequent to having delivered by Caesarian section (VBAC), we will gladly evaluate you and your current pregnancy and counsel you regarding the risks and benefits of a vaginal birth after C-section.

Your provider will need the operative report of the previous C-section at the time of the appointment to document the suitability and safety of trial of labor.

As there are conditions and situations which preclude attempting a subsequent vaginal delivery, your provider must be comfortable that you are a suitable candidate to attempt VBAC. Because of the risk of uterine rupture during VBAC, the physician is required to be in the hospital or immediately available during the entire labor in case an emergency C-section is needed. Insurance companies rarely reimburse for this “above and beyond” service.

High Risk OB Care

At Her Healthcare, we are dedicated to caring for all pregnant women and their unborn children, including mothers with health issues and complicated pregnancies.

We work closely with the mother to protect both her and her child, and we do not hesitate to call in and work with other Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialists when their expertise is needed.

You are considered to be in a high risk pregnancy if you are exhibiting one or more of the following complications:

• Diabetes
• Genetic Disorders
• Hypertension
• Maternal age of 35 years or more
• Multiple gestation
• Previous Pregnancy Loss
• Previous Pre-term Delivery
• Thyroid Disease
• Other Medical Disorders

Her Healthcare is dedicated to helping mothers and their unborn children get off to the very best start that modern medicine can give them both.

Pregnancy Care and Delivery

Your Initial Pregnancy Visit is a visit to confirm pregnancy when you have missed your period. It includes an exam, an ultrasound, and a complimentary bag full of prenatal vitamin samples, information about pregnancy, risk factors, and other information specific to your situation to help you and your baby get off to a great start. This initial visit is best scheduled 8-9 weeks after your last period.

OB-Gyn Problem Visits

Your providers here at Her Healthcare are well qualified to diagnose and treat a wide variety of female-related problems.

Please note that many insurance companies’ rules do not allow a problem visit to be scheduled at the same time as a Well Woman exam.

Gynecologic / Well Woman Visit

An annual Gynecologist / Well Woman exam is extremely important to protect your health during every phase of your life. Recognizing this, most insurance companies cover your annual “well” exam including a pap-smear, pelvic exam, and breast exam. During your yearly checkup, your Her Healthcare provider will also prescribe or refill prescriptions, as well as provide you with routine information about maintaining your health.

If you are having a significant health issue that you need to discuss at length with your healthcare provider, please schedule a separate “Problem Visit” in addition to your “Well Woman” exam, to ensure that your provider will be able to give you the sufficient time and attention you need in addition to the scheduled exam.

HPV Vaccination (Gardasil)

Affecting both men and women, HPV or Human Papillomavirus can be contracted through any kind of sexual activity. Some people with HPV do not show any symptoms of the virus and can unknowingly transmit this common viral disease. Occurring in a large segment of our population, approximately 20 million Americans were diagnosed with genital HPV in 2005; six million new cases are confirmed each year in the United States. Though most people’s own bodily defenses eradicate the HPV virus, some types of HPV can cause genital warts. Other varieties of the virus can cause precancerous changes in the cells lining the cervix that can later develop into cervical cancer.

Most women are diagnosed with HPV through abnormal pap-smear findings resulting from their well-women exam. A more thorough analysis of the pap is then performed by the lab to find out if a patient has HPV. In most cases, HPV testing is covered by insurance once every three years for women over thirty, but please check with your insurance to see if you are covered for this important screening.

It is now possible to be inoculated by injection against the four major types of HPV that cause cervical cancer. The vaccination is available for girls and women 9 through 26 years of age. The vaccine can still be administered to people that already have HPV because it is possible for someone to contract more than one type of HPV. Being inoculated will protect you from the other strains of HPV. Your Her Healthcare provider will discuss your situation with you and advise you on whether or not the HPV vaccine is a good option for you.

Bibliography

1) The Center of Disease Control and Prevention.
Genital HPV infection fact sheet. Accessed by Merck and Co. on July 22, 2005.

2) Walboomers JMM, Jacobs MV, Manos MM, et al.
Human papillomavirus is a necessary cause of invasive cervical cancer worldwide.
J Pathol. 1999;189:12-19.

3) National Cancer Institute, Division of Cancer Prevention.
About HPV infections. Accessed by Merck and Co. on July 22, 2005.

4) Merck & Co. Patient Information about GARDASIL. June 2006.