Women's Health October 2019

Women’s Health

OUR MISSION

Women’s Clinic of Johnson County is dedicated exclusively to the practice of Obstetrics and Gynecology. We specialize in pregnancy, well woman exams, family planning and infertility. We help guide women in the treatment of heavy periods, menopause, hormone replacement therapy and minimally invasive surgery when needed. WCJC takes pride in helping patients achieve optimal wellness.

OUR DOCTORS

WCJC NOW OFFERS

FemTouch laser is an in-office, no downtime procedure that helps restore vaginal health; improving dryness, reducing urinary leakage and helping to regain vaginal strength and support. WCJC also provides cosmetic procedures including Botox fillers, fractionated CO2 facial laser, micro-needling with PRP and the O-shot

Call now for your private consultation

913.266.8937

TESTIMONIALS

“Awesome group of Ob/Gyns. Office staff always extremely friendly and efficient. Love the nurses lines that I can call to get a quick response for any questions I have.”

“These doctors are so kind and wonderful!! They really care about your overall health and wellness.”

“Awesome group of doctors. When I delivered my first baby, I felt truly cared for, and that doesn’t often happen when you visit the doctor. None of my appointments felt rushed and it was like visiting a friend that really cares about you.”

Jessica Lutz, MD, Sharon Maturo, MD, Jessie Holmes, MD, Cheryl Rips, MD, Amanda Healy, MD, Carrie Grounds, MD, Sharla Shipman, MD, Phaedra Lombard, MD, Cynthia Eckert, MD, Alison Blevins, MD and Emily Mathiesen, MD

Your best chance to beat breast cancer.

The Women’s Cancer Center

Appointments are available within 24 hours.

If you’ve been diagnosed with breast cancer, like Mila, you need an entire team that specializes only in women’s cancers. Our experts were quickly able to uncover that Mila had two different forms of breast cancer that each required specialized treatment. As the region’s only National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center, we offer the most treatment options, most expertise and most clinical trials. Innovative care can make a lifesaving difference for you and your family. Why would you go anywhere else?

Your treatment plan begins with our nurse navigator. Call 913-574-1594 or visit kucancercenter.org/breast

Mila Ellsworth, breast cancer survivor

WOMEN’S

GUIDE

Pill Talk

AN OB - GYN FILLS US IN ON THE TRUTHS OF THE BIRTH CONTROL PILL

GRACE GORENFLO

Nearly 47 million U.S. women used some form of contraceptive from 2015 to 2017. The second most common form is oral contraceptive, behind only pregnancy prevention surgery, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. With countless theories just a click away, women may be left wondering how the pill actually works and what effects it has on their minds and bodies. We talked to local OB-GYN Dr. Errick Arroyo to bust some common myths about birth control pills.

MYTH: The birth control pill kills eggs that have already been fertilized.

WHAT THE DOCTOR SAYS: The birth control pill prevents pregnancy by stopping ovulation, or the process of a mature egg being released from an ovary. If no egg is released, no egg is available to be fertilized.

“There’s sometimes the misconception that the pill works because it causes early abortions,” Arroyo says. “It keeps you from ovulating so you don’t get pregnant in the first place.”

MYTH: Taking birth control pills increases your risk of cancer.

WHAT THE DOCTOR SAYS: The pill can actually help prevent certain cancers. According to Arroyo, ovarian cancer is a common fear for women because it’s difficult to detect in its early stages (read more about ovarian cancer symptoms on page 16). Because birth control pills stop you from ovulating, he says, they decrease the risk of ovarian cancer.

“[In ovulation], the ovary kind of breaks open to release the egg, and then it repairs

itself and heals,” he says. “We think in that healing, something goes wrong, and it can spark cancer.” He says studies show birth control pills can decrease the risk of uterine cancer as well.

MYTH: The only reason women go on birth control pills is to prevent pregnancy.

WHAT THE DOCTOR SAYS: Many women go on the pill to regulate their periods, lighten their flow and decrease cramps.

“There are many women who feel that heavy flow is a normal rite of passage, but it certainly does not have to be,” Arroyo says. “Many times, they lose way too much blood and they can become anemic.” He says the pill can also benefit your skin by decreasing hair growth and oil production, which can combat acne.

MYTH: It’s dangerous to never have your period.

WHAT THE DOCTOR SAYS: Some people find it too unnatural to not have their period each month, but that doesn’t mean it’s unsafe. Normally, not having your period causes the uterine lining to build up each month, which can be dangerous. But on the pill, because there’s such a thin uterine lining, there isn’t any buildup. Arroyo says it’s safe to skip the placebo or no pill week and go straight into the next pack of pills to jumpstart your next cycle. But because the uterine lining is so thin, he says you still may have random spotting.

MYTH: Birth control pills only have physical side effects.

WHAT THE DOCTOR SAYS: Birth control pills can cause mood swings, especially when your body is first adjusting to them. After all, you’re feeding yourself hormones. Common mood changes include an increase in anxiety or depression and a decrease in libido. If someone already struggles with mental health, Arroyo suggests looking into a non-hormonal birth control method or an IUD, which has a localized effect in the uterus and doesn’t circulate hormones throughout the body.

WHAT BIRTH CONTROL METHOD IS RIGHT FOR YOU?

Pill

EFFECTIVENESS: 91%

HOW IT WORKS: One pill a day at the same time every day

WHO IT’S GOOD FOR: Disciplined women who want to control when they have their period

Patch

EFFECTIVENESS: 91%

HOW IT WORKS: New patch on the body weekly for three weeks, no patch week four

WHO IT’S GOOD FOR: Someone who isn’t trying to hide their contraceptive and doesn’t have easily irritated skin

Shot

EFFECTIVENESS: 94%

HOW IT WORKS: Get a shot once every three months.

WHO IT’S GOOD FOR: Someone who is okay with needles and can get to the doctor on time

Vaginal Ring

EFFECTIVENESS: 94%

HOW IT WORKS: Fold ring in half and insert like a tampon. Leave in for three weeks, go ringless for one.

WHO IT’S GOOD FOR: Someone who is comfortable with their body and doesn’t easily get vaginal irritation

Implant

EFFECTIVENESS: >99%

HOW IT WORKS: A professional inserts a tiny rod under the skin on the upper arm. Protects for up to four years

WHO IT’S GOOD FOR: Someone who isn’t squirmy and can’t remember to use birth control regularly

IUD

EFFECTIVENESS: >99%

HOW IT WORKS: A medical professional places a T-shaped piece of plastic in the uterus, which controls the way sperm move. Protects for three to 12 years

WHO IT’S GOOD FOR: Most everyone, including new parents or someone who wants a non-hormonal option

Double Diagnosis

IDENTICAL TWINS ENDURE MIRRORED BREAST CANCER DIAGNOSES

Metta Siebert and Hanna Thompson, 35, aren’t only identical twins. They’re also mirror images of each other. Thompson is left-handed while Siebert’s right-handed. Their facial features are the same but flipped.

Growing up, they did nearly everything together, including attending the same college. Siebert, who lives in Kansas City, says she and Thompson, who lives in San Francisco, share a kind of bond so strong they’re not allowed to be on the same team in a family game of charades.

GRACE GORENFLO

ILLUSTRATED BY BROOKE SMART

As of this summer, the two women have something even more powerful in common: breast cancer.

The twins’ situation, although unique, points to a larger phenomenon where sisters, mothers, daughters and even best friends are diagnosed with breast cancer at the same time. Dr. Gregory Crane, Siebert’s oncologist at the University of Kansas Medical Center, says this is common.

“What usually happens is that somebody notices a mass, gets checked out and then gets diagnosed, and that leads to other family members going, ‘Hey, I need to get screened,’” he says. “It’s not necessarily that they get cancer at the same time.”

The twins didn’t have just this phenomenon working against them. Their genes play a role, too. Crane says a third of patients get cancer, but if a twin has cancer, it increases the other twin’s risk to 46 percent.

“If you look at identical twins, they have the same genetic makeup,” he says. “So if one gets cancer, it would be higher risk that the other would get cancer as well.”

In the twins’ case, Siebert’s diagnosis is what prompted Thompson to get a mammogram. Siebert saw her primary care provider in early June after discovering a lump in the shower. As a nurse, she says she knew what was coming.

“They were taking all the extra images, and then the doctor came in,” she says. “Every medical provider has their serious doctor face, and she had that.”

Thompson says she felt a lump a few months prior to Siebert’s diagnosis but ignored it, thinking it was just a clogged milk duct from breastfeeding her 13-month-old son. She was soon diagnosed with the same cancer as Siebert — Stage 2A — and started chemo three weeks later.

“Every medical provider has their serious doctor face, and she had that.”

Siebert, left, was diagnosed first. However, Thompson, right, noticed a lump months prior; she thought it was a clogged milk duct from breastfeeding. Her sister’s diagnosis prompted her to get a mammogram.

The sisters both tested postitive for mutations in their BRCA2 genes, putting them at high risk of developing breast and ovarian cancers. If someone tests positive for the mutation, it’s suggested they start breast cancer screenings at 25 years old.

The twins’ chemo treatments are slightly different, as are their cancers. Siebert is HER-2 positive, meaning she tests positive for a protein that promotes the growth of cancer cells. Thompson is not.

Siebert says only about 10 percent of the population tests HER-2 positive. The twins both tested positive for a mutation in their BRCA2 genes, putting them at a much higher risk of developing breast and ovarian cancers. Even with the gene, the twins are young for their diagnoses.

Siebert and Thompson never had genetic testing done before their diagnoses, but they wish they did, seeing as their maternal grandmother, grandaunt and aunt all had breast cancer. Their advice now: If you have any family history of breast cancer whatsoever, get tested for the gene.

If someone is positive for the BRCA mutation, it’s suggested they start receiving breast cancer screenings at 25 years old as opposed to the recommended 40. Crane says the screenings are also more involved.

“We start out screenings at younger ages, and we wouldn’t necessarily just do mammograms,” she says. “We’d do MRIs.”

Since the BRCA gene greatly increases the risk of the cancer returning, both Siebert and Thompson will need double mastectomies and possible radiation treatments after they’re done with chemo. It’s also recommended that they have their ovaries and fallopian tubes removed in the next one to three years.

The journey for Siebert and Thompson is just beginning, but in a way, each sister is glad she doesn’t have to go through it alone. Thompson says the best advice they can receive is from someone who has been in their shoes, and they often call each other to compare things like beneficial supplements or doctors’ orders.

“It’s a double-edged sword,” Thompson says. “Of course you wouldn’t wish this on anybody, let alone someone you’re so incredibly close with. At the same time, it’s like, ‘Well, if I have to go through this with anyone, it might as well be my twin sister.’”

Incontinence & Pelvic Pain are NEVER normal

Come to a free educational seminar held on November 14, 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm

provided by an international expert in Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery. Topics include:

• urinary & fecal incontinence

• pelvic organ prolapse

Medical Plaza West, Suite 50

• bladder infection

• pelvic pain disorders

12200 W 106th Str. Overland Park, KS 66215

Seating is limited. Please register via email at klester@urogyncenter. com or call 913-307-004 ext. 9 to improve your life.

Come learn about Solá Therapy – a major breakthrough in the management of Chronic Pelvic Pain

Charles Butrick, MD, FACOG, FPMRS

Dr. Butnick is a 2017, 2018 and 2019 Top Doctor in 435 Magazine

Female Pelvic Medicine & Reconstructive Surgery

urogyncenter.com | solatherapy.com | 913-307-0044

6730 W. 121st. Overland Park KS

SWEATING: FACT OR FICTION?

Speculation

THERE’S MORE TO SWEAT THAN JUST SALTY WATER

NICOLE BRADLEY

Like it or not, sweating is good for you. Sure, it can smell at times, and it’s the culprit of the yellow pit stains on your favorite white tee, but sweating is a basic body function we need to survive. We spoke with father-son pair Dr. Michael Munger, family medicine physician at Saint Luke’s, and Dr. Kevin Munger, sports medicine physician at Saint Luke’s, to determine fact versus fiction when it comes to sweat.

Humans can sweat out a liter of water a day.

FACT

The more I sweat, the more calories I burn.

An increase in sweat does not equate to an increase in calories burned. And what the scale says immediately after a drenched workout isn’t necessarily correct. “The weight loss that you see is from the pure volume of sweat that you lose,” Kevin Munger says. “When you rehydrate, you’ll notice that your weight is back to where you were before you started [exercising].”

Yellow sweat stains are normal.

“The yellow is caused by electrolytes,” Michael Munger says. “It’s also part of the fat that comes through — that has sort of a color.” The ingredients in deodorant can also play a part in sweat stains on underarms of T-shirts.

When your body starts to run out of water, it’ll stop sweating. Other symptoms of heat-related illness include dizziness, fatigue, cramping, nausea, vomiting and mind alteration. “It doesn’t necessarily have to be confusion — it can be a complete change in personality,” Kevin Munger says.

Sweat is your body’s way of cooling itself, so you want to keep the moisture there.

“Cotton fabrics and moisture-wicking ones work really well,” Kevin Munger says.

“That allows you to transfer heat from your body to sweat.”

“Unfortunately, we’re not camels and we can’t really store it like that,” Michael Munger says. “With normalfunctioning kidneys, our body will get rid of excess fluid.” He suggests hydrating an hour or two before an intense workout and replenishing throughout with water and electrolytes.

I should wear fabric marketed as “sweat-proof.”

Not sweating during a workout is a sign of a heat-related illness.

If I’m going on a long run in the heat tomorrow, I need to hydrate all day today.

“Each individual will have their own characteristics in terms of how much their sweat glands will produce.”

- Dr. Michael Munger

inWaitingSilence

OVARIAN CANCER’S WARNING SIGNS ARE OFTEN UNDETECTABLE OR EASY TO DISMISS. LEARN ABOUT THEM TO BETTER ARM YOURSELF.

JENNY VOSSMAN

Often referred to as a “silent killer,” ovarian cancer is one of the most dangerous diseases a woman can have. One in 78 women is at risk of developing ovarian cancer in her lifetime, and of those diagnosed, 60 to 70 percent are found in the advanced stages, according to the American Cancer Society. Dr. Blair Smith, gynecologic oncologist at Research Medical Center in Kansas City, gives the lowdown on what to look for in the early stages of ovarian cancer.

Symptoms

“Unfortunately, a lot of [ovarian cancer] symptoms are very common symptoms that women have on a regular basis,” Smith says. The most common symptoms are bloating, abdominal pain, pelvic pain, nausea, difficulty eating, feeling full quickly and urgency to use the bathroom. Smith notes that due to the commonality of these problems, they may be overlooked, which results in women being diagnosed when their cancer is more advanced.

Less common symptoms that could also point to ovarian cancer include heartburn, back pain, pain during intercourse, constipation, menstrual irregularity, fatigue and unintentional weight loss. These symptoms will generally last more than two weeks and won’t improve even when health changes are made.

Risk Factors

Factors such as race and origin can affect your chances of developing ovarian cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, caucasians and people of Eastern European descent rank highest in ovarian cancer risk, whereas those of Asian descent are at the lowest risk.

Most women diagnosed with ovarian cancer are age 60 or older. You also have an increased risk if you have never been pregnant or

1 in 78 women is at risk

had a delayed pregnancy (after 35 years old). The most prominent risk factor, however, is a family history of inherited cancer syndromes. If breast or ovarian cancer runs in your family, be sure to get tested for a BRCA gene mutation.

Preventative Measures

Smith stresses the importance of pelvic exams in women over 18 and rectovaginal exams in women over 35. However, there is no steady screening process, like mammograms, to catch issues early on.

“Unfortunately, there’s no consistently reliable screening test to diagnose ovarian cancer,” Smith says, emphasizing that routine exams are the best system — especially if you do start to notice symptoms. “Kind of like looking in your mouth at the dentist, it’s important to look in your vagina, as well.”

Lower Your Risk

Some of the best preventative measures include using the birth control pill (a woman on the pill for more than five years reduces her lifetime risk of ovarian cancer by 50 percent), IUDs and tubal ligation. Smith urges the importance of eating a nutritious diet for overall health but notes that one diet has not proven more effective in preventing ovarian cancer over others.

Bloating

Abdominal Pain

Pelvic Pain

Nausea

Difficulty Eating

Feeling Full Quickly

Urgency to Use the Bathroom

LESS COMMON SYMPTOMS

Heartburn

Back Pain

Pain During Intercourse

Constipation

Menstrual Irregularity

Fatigue

Unintentional Weight Loss

The Great Debate

YOUR HORMONE REPLACEMENT QUESTIONS ANSWERED

LISA TARANTO BUTLER ILLUSTRATED BY BROOKE SMART

Menopause arrives too early for some women and stays way beyond its welcome for others. This impolite guest carries a variety of symptoms including low libido, fatigue, weight gain and hot flashes.

For years, hormone replacement therapy was routinely used to treat menopausal symptoms. In the early 2000’s, large clinical studies showed possible health hazards, but new studies suggest this may not be the case.

Although menopause and the hormone troubles that come with it seem like taboo topics of discussion, Dr. James Mirabile of Mirabile M.D. Beauty, Health and Wellness and author of Be Healthy, Vibrant and Sexy! says that they should be talked about openly.

“No one really educates women about what is going to happen to their bodies after menopause,” he says. “Their symptoms often lead to a depression diagnosis when that isn’t the case at all.” Here’s what Mirabile has to say about hormone therapy.

Types

Hormones can be delivered in various forms including creams, gels, vaginal rings, tablets and skin patches. Synthetic therapy is made from a blend of hormones isolated from a pregnant horse’s urine, while bioidentical hormones are made from plants specifically compounded to match the hormones women make in their bodies. “It’s basically identical to what your body has made for 50 years,” Mirabile says of the bioidentical kind.

Benefits

Bioidentical and synthetic hormones have similar benefits. Hormone replacement therapy can ease vaginal symptoms of menopause, such as dryness, itching, burning and discomfort with intercourse. Therapy also helps with hot flashes, low libido, night sweats and protection against osteoporosis.

In addition, the combination of estrogen and progesterone therapy might reduce the risk of colon cancer. Data collected by Mayo Clinic also suggests that estrogen can decrease the risk of heart disease when taken early in the postmenopausal years.

Risks

Although hormone therapy has its benefits, it comes with risks. In a large clinical trial by the Women’s Health Initiative, a combination estrogenprogestin pill increased the risk of certain serious conditions like heart disease, blood clots, breast cancer and stroke. Later studies have shown that risks vary depending on age, dosage and other health factors like genetics and tendency for cardiovascular issues. Mirabile stresses that one size does not fit all, and treatments should be tailored to each person and re-evaluated every so often. “Monitoring patients is extremely important,” he says. “Everyone is different.”

Is It for You?

For healthy women who are experiencing menopausal symptoms, most experts agree that the benefits of hormone therapy replacement outweigh any risks.

If you’re still unsure if hormone replacement therapy is the right choice for you, talk with your doctor. Individual programs vary, and your own personal history will help determine your path.

Mitchell, MD; Maureen King, MD; Julie Martin, MD; Michael Magee, MD; Malorie Howe, DO; Angela Piquard, MD; Sherebanu Gaslightwala, MD; Kelly Jarczyk, ARNP

Status Quo

THE BREAST RECONSTRUCTION PROCESS

SHOWS HOW BREAST CANCER IS NOT JUST A PHYSICAL DISEASE

In October, Dawn Romano will have her 12th surgery since her double mastectomy in February 2016. She hopes this one is her last.

Romano, 53, is a two-time breast cancer survivor. Her first diagnosis led to 33 rounds of radiation. Eight years later, her skin was so damaged it refused to heal after her mastectomy. Through many surgeries, she’s had infections, implant replacements and, most recently, fat grafting to even out her breasts.

GRACE GORENFLO ILLUSTRATED BY BROOKE SMART

Despite all of the complications, she’s still fighting for the reconstruction she wants.

“My goal is to be able to go into a store and buy a bra like a normal woman and not need a prosthetic or have lots of extra space,” she says. “My surgeon always jokes about how no woman’s breasts are twins, they are sisters. I used to joke back that mine weren’t even next door neighbors. It’ll never be perfect, and I don’t expect that, but I’d like to be able to do as much as I can.”

Romano is an example of what breast cancer survivors go through to reclaim their feminine figure. For some women, reconstruction is the only way to feel normal again; for others, implants will never feel normal.

Dr. Jamie Wagner, a breast surgical oncologist at the University of Kansas Medical Center, says breast reconstruction is a big decision — the process takes 12 to 18 months to complete — but not everyone is doing it for the right reasons. Patients, she says, get bogged down by the opinions of loved ones and society alike.

“Everybody wants to give an opinion, but the only opinion that matters is the patient’s,” Wagner says. “Sometimes opinions get so strong that patients lose sight of the fact that it’s not their own opinion.”

No cancer diagnosis is easy, but Wagner says breast cancer has added layers of difficulty because of society’s view on breasts and what a woman’s body should look like.

“Breast cancer in and of itself is a social disease because of what the breast is on a woman’s body, as far as the original intent from nursing,” she says. “What it has become from a societal standpoint, because of that, it has so many layers of impacting women with breast cancer.”

A patient’s decision, Wagner says, can also be limited by how healthy she is and how her treatment is going. In Romano’s case, reconstruction has been a difficult process because of the intense radiation she underwent.

“I thought I had healed beautifully, but you don’t see the damage that radiation does from the inside,” she says. “The last one or two sessions, they just concentrate a whole lot of radiation in the one certain spot. There’s lots of scar tissue, and your skin is not as elastic.”

Romano is seeking more “normal” breasts, but she doesn’t believe they’ll ever look or feel like they did before cancer.

“I try to get my body as close to normal as I can because every single day I look in the mirror, I see cancer,” she says. “My hair has grown back, but I still see cancer, my scars, the fact that my clothes fit differently … Once you have cancer, there is no normal again.”

On the flip side, breast cancer survivor Jennifer Raymo gave up on her implants and had them removed on June 3, 2019.

Raymo, 39, was diagnosed with breast cancer on September 26, 2017. She had a double mastectomy before

going through chemotherapy and radiation. Like Romano, Raymo had a surgical incision that didn’t heal completely.

“I was starting to get headaches and was overall not feeling good,” Raymo says. “I then decided that it wasn’t going to get any better.”

Raymo agrees that societal views of breasts play a part in women choosing to have reconstruction, and she doesn’t believe people on the outside are always advocating for the right thing.

“Society brings this view to save the breast,” she says. “You see ‘save second base’ and ‘save the boobies.’ That’s not what it’s about — it’s saving the person.”

Raymo says she’s happy with her decision to embrace a flat chest and finally feels like she can heal — but that’s just her story. She says every woman should do what will help her heal, too.

“It’s important for the women coming out of a breast cancer diagnosis and treatment to do whatever they can do to feel the best for themselves,” she says. “Whether it’s going through that whole reconstruction process to try to feel normal like they had prior to it or accepting that new normal, it’s what is best for them and their mental health.”

“My goal is to be able to go into a store and buy a bra like a normal woman.”

Baby Steps

ADVANCES IN CHILDBIRTH TECHNOLOGY

AIM TO IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF MOTHERS AND INFANTS

RON MATEJKO

ILLUSTRATED BY BROOKE SMART

Most babies born today are birthed the same way they were 100 years ago, but technology associated with childbirth has changed tremendously. Technological advancements with prenatal care have helped save the lives of thousands of mothers and babies thanks to early diagnosis and intervention.

Examples of technology innovations include ultrasonography for diagnosis of genetic problems and growth disorders, previously undiagnosed until delivery; better detection of elevated blood pressure and diabetes; and ultrasound testing for biophysical profiles. Here are a few more.

NIPT

Non-invasive prenatal testing is where blood is drawn as early as 10 weeks into the pregnancy to diagnose genetic disorders (and gender, if wanted). NIPTs use fetal DNA samples, which lowers the chance of a false positive. Available methods prior to NIPT couldn’t draw until at least week 16 and often ended in false test results.

Although no genetic test can change the genetic outcome, NIPT does allow for early diagnosis so patients and their families can seek out a pediatric specialist or support group while identifying precautions needed prior to birth.

Record Improvement

The introduction of Electronic Medical Records systems has improved documentation and information distribution between hospitals and providers. EMR also offers protocols in the EMR software when a patient has complications.

“EMR allows us to not only ensure protocols are followed but to track the successes and failures of such programs,” says Dr. Sharla Shipman, founder of the Women’s Clinic of Johnson County. “We can also have EMR pop-ups or red flags for medication interactions, allergies and protocol steps that cannot be skipped.”

Portable Monitors

Wireless portable monitors attached to expecting mothers assess contractions and fetal wellbeing without the need for patients to be stationary. Some monitors are even waterproof, so they can be used in the bathtub.

“By using these devices, an expecting mother is able to walk and move freely during labor while reliably monitoring the fetal heartbeat,” says Dr. Malorie Howe, osteopathic physician at Women’s Health Associates. “This allows nurses and physicians to monitor the baby while the mother is laboring in a way that is comfortable for her.”

Websites

Mahmee, which recently received investments from Serena Wiliams and Mark Cuban, is a HIPAA-secure care management platform that makes it easy for payers, providers and patients to coordinate comprehensive prenatal and postpartum health care from anywhere.

The app connects patients with a network of medical professionals including physicians, nurses, lactation consultants, midwives, nutritionists and therapists. This ecosystem helps care teams closely monitor the health of mom and baby so red flags for pregnancy and postpartum issues can be identified early.

“l love the idea of this app,” Shipman says. “The goals are perfect, but getting it into action and equally available to all patients will be the hard part. We need to find a modern way to share our experience and guidance with the women of today and women of all cultures, races, and backgrounds.”

Technological advancements with prenatal care have helped save the lives of thousands of mothers and babies.

Sprucing Up

READ UP ON VAGINAL REJUVENATION OPTIONS BEFORE BOOKING YOUR APPOINTMENT

LISA TARANTO BUTLER

As if women didn’t have enough to worry about, childbirth and aging can cause issues like incontinence, vaginal laxity and dryness. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, about 40 percent of women also suffer from various forms of sexual dysfunction like arousal issues, decreased orgasms and excessive pressure during intercourse. And that’s no fun.

Enter vaginal rejuvenation — a sort of restoring of our “particular” parts to a more youthful state via laser or pulsed light. While they may sound funny together, those two words are slowly seeping their way into enlightened conversation. Proponents say a few treatments are like vaginal rehab.

Although surgical methods of treating vaginal issues have been around for years, a few non-invasive treatments are making headway. Devices marketed under various names use radiofrequency or laser energy to treat common female complaints. The targeted treatments aim to stimulate collagen production, tighten tissue and produce new tissue growth — improving vaginal issues while heightening sexual sensations.

Meredith Keller, nurse at AesthetiCare Medical Spa and trainer for diVa therapy, says it’s about time that vaginal health became a trending topic. “Women finally have something they can do to improve their satisfaction, health and frustration,” she says.

So what can one expect from a laser treatment in the nether regions? In most instances,

patients lie on their backs with their feet in stirrups as the area to be treated is numbed. A laser probe is inserted into the vagina, slowly moving and zapping every centimeter or so. Most patients experience little pain or say it feels similar to other laser treatments done on the skin.

The widely available diVa treatment uses two types of lasers simultaneously, so the actual treatment lasts only about 6 minutes. Recovery is generally minimal with little or no downtime. Reviving the she-shed will cost you, though: Treatments run upwards of $1,200 each, and Keller suggests a package of three to start with a yearly appointment to maintain results.

To date, the FDA has not approved any energy-based medical device for vaginal rejuvenation, but Keller says the proof is in the patients. If you’re on the fence or want to find out if getting some care down there is right for you, Keller says to make sure you do your research. “Everyone is different,” she says. “Schedule a consultation with a laser-trained and educated medical professional that you are comfortable with.”

OUR DOCTORS

Leah Ridgway, M.D.

Ana Martinez, M.D.

Evelina Swartzman, M.D.

Amy Giedt, M.D.

Kimberly Matthews, M.D.

Reagan Wittek, M.D.

WHAT WE OFFER

• An all-female provider staff, committed to providing you with personalized and professional care

• A focus on lifetime wellness

• An OB/GYN practice offering the latest technology and treatment options

• A friendly, patient-focused and professional office staff

• Two convenient locations

• Offer Mona Lisa Touch, a Vaginal Rejuvenation laser treatment for vaginal dryness, painful intercourse and recurring urinary infections