Gynecological Services & Procedures
Regular gynecological care is essential to the long-term health of women from adolescence to post-menopause. Annual gynecological exams serve as a preventative healthcare measure for women throughout all stages of life. Annual exams can help detect problems early when treatment is most effective. Women’s Health of Central Virginia offers a full range of gynecological services.
What Should I Expect at My Annual Exam?
At Women’s Health of Central Virginia, we understand that women’s healthcare needs change throughout their life. One of our top priorities is to educate and empower women to make positive health choices. At your annual gynecological exam, you will meet with your doctor to discuss any changes or concerns you may have regarding your reproductive health.
A yearly gynecological exam is a vital aspect to a woman’s overall health. The yearly exam can help:
- Recognize risk factors for disease
- Review healthy lifestyle choices
- Minimize health risks
- Identify medical problems
- Establish a long-term clinician-patient relationship
In general, the components of the physical examination will depend on the age of the patient and if they have had a hysterectomy. Most physical examinations include:
- Collecting vital signs including blood pressure, weight and a urine sample
- Discussion about the menstrual cycle, birth control and any issues you may be having with yeast infections, sexual intercourse, bladder infections or hemorrhoids
- Clinical breast examination
- Pelvic examination including a PAP smear, if needed and to palpate ovaries and uterus
- Palpating the abdomen
- Assessing patient’s overall health
- Mammogram for patients 40 and over, or sooner for those with a family history of breast cancer
It is important that you make and keep your annual checkups with your gynecologist so that any health issues you may have will be identified early and treatment can begin. Prevention and early detection are the best ways to increase the length and quality of your life. These visits are also a perfect time to discuss any concerns you have or any other services you think may be beneficial to your care.
Colposcopy
A colposcopy procedure is performed by your gynecological specialist to closely examine the cells in the cervix through a magnification device called a colposcope. This procedure is generally recommended when a Pap test yields abnormal results. The colposcopy allows your doctor to carefully inspect the tissues in your vagina and cervix and look for problems that may not be caught with the naked eye.
A colposcopy can be used to diagnose:
- Precancerous changes in the cervix
- Genital warts
- Inflammation of the cervix
The results of the colposcopy will take about a week to return. A colposcopy will give you and your doctor more information to help you make the best health care choices.
Menopause
Menopause is a natural, gradual transition time in a woman’s life when the hormone levels of estrogen and progesterone begin to drop. Women transition out of the reproductive years and the monthly cycle starts to become irregular and eventually stops. Although most women typically enter menopause in their late 40s, the average age of menopause is about 51. Menopause can be confirmed when a woman has not had a period for a year, however, signs and symptoms of menopause can begin years before the last period. Fluctuating hormone levels are usually the cause of symptoms that women experience during perimenopause (before menopause). The severity of symptoms can vary between women, but some of the more common symptoms include:
- Changes in the menstrual cycle: For many women, the first sign of perimenopause is a change in the length of menstrual cycles. Periods can be shorter or longer and they can also be heavier or very light.
- Hot flashes and night sweats: During perimenopause, women may begin to notice hot flashes. Most women will experience hot flashes during menopause as the hormone levels fluctuate. Hot flashes can be triggered by tight clothing, stress, consuming alcohol, caffeine and spicy foods.
- Changes in sleep patterns: Insomnia is often a common symptom of menopause. The core body temperature needs to drop at night in order to sleep, and hot flashes and night sweats suddenly raise the temperature in the middle of the night, causing sleep disturbances and restlessness.
- Changes in mood and memory: Mood swings, similar to PMS symptoms, often occur during menopause. The declining hormone levels can leave women feeling sad, depressed, irritable, anxious and short-tempered. Mood disorders may be helped by eating healthy, exercising and getting adequate rest.
- Vaginal dryness: As estrogen declines, the lining of the vagina becomes thinner and drier. This can cause pain during intercourse. Be sure to consult your doctor at Women’s Health of Central Virginia to help you manage menopausal symptoms.
Menopause Management
It is not medically necessary to treat the symptoms of perimenopause unless they are bothering you. Women’s Health of Central Virginia in Lynchburg, VA offers simple, natural lifestyle changes that may help reduce and alleviate some symptoms. There are other measures that we can offer to help with menopause management such as low dose hormone therapy. If menopause is disrupting your life, please don’t hesitate to call Women’s Health of Central Virginia at (434) 239-7890.
Am I In Perimenopause?
The changes in hormones during perimenopause and menopause affect women differently. A physical exam as well as a discussion of your symptoms and medical history are valuable clues that you are entering perimenopause. After menopause, the risk of certain diseases such as heart disease, osteoporosis and cancer can increase. During this transition phase, it is important to keep your annual physical exams so you can discuss any changing symptoms with your doctor.
Minimally Invasive Surgery
The providers at Women’s Health of Central Virginia in Lynchburg are highly trained in performing minimally invasive gynecological surgeries to treat common and often benign conditions of the reproductive system. Advancements in technology have enabled doctors to treat a broad range of conditions including:
- Uterine fibroids
- Chronic pelvic pain
- Abnormal and heavy menstrual bleeding
- Endometriosis
- Ovarian cysts
- Postmenopausal bleeding
- Cancer
Minimally invasive surgery is shown to cause less pain, reduce recovery time, leave smaller scars, lower risk of infection and heal more quickly. There are several approaches to minimally invasive surgery such as hysteroscopic, laparoscopic and da Vinci® robotic surgery system.
Hysteroscopic surgery utilizes a thin, lighted, flexible tube called a hysteroscope inserted through the vagina to examine the cervix and uterus. Hysteroscopy is indicated for patients that have abnormal pap test results, abnormal uterine bleeding, bleeding after menopause, biopsy tissue from inside the uterus, remove the endometrial lining and endometrial ablation.
Laparoscopic surgery is a minimally invasive surgical procedure that inserts a small tube with a video camera into an incision made in the belly. The procedure is used to examine abdominal and pelvic organs such as the uterus, ovaries and fallopian tubes. A laparoscopic procedure can be used to treat endometriosis, find cysts, adhesions, fibroids and infection.