Menopause isn’t just about getting older.

Understanding Menopause and Premature Menopause

Natural Menopause
Menopause is different for every woman. For most women, menopause begins a year after her last menstrual cycle, but symptoms typically begin 1-2 years before that occurs. This stage is called perimenopause, and usually lasts for several years, as the ovaries start to make less estrogen. When the ovaries stop making eggs, a woman enters menopause. This can bring on the more well-known menopausal symptoms including hot flashes, vaginal dryness and mood swings.

Once a woman has passed through this stage and moves into postmenopause, those symptoms begin to ease. However, as a consequence of the hormonal changes associated with menopause, this is the time when a woman’s risk for osteoporosis, heart disease, and vaginal dryness increase significantly.

Premature Menopause
Surgery that removes both ovaries will begin menopause prematurely. This is also known as induced menopause. Induced menopause can also result from damage to the ovaries caused by radiation or chemotherapy. Premature menopause can also be related to a genetic condition or autoimmune disorder.

Tailored Hormone Replacement Therapy
Symptoms of menopause can cause difficulty in women’s lives, whether natural or premature. Lifestyle modifications are an option for women with mild symptoms, but often, Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is an important step to managing more severe symptoms. Treatment options should be evaluated based on the patient’s age, whether or not she has had a partial or full hysterectomy, or if her uterus is intact. 

CIGC Specialists can help women understand their specific HRT needs, and start the right treatment plan.

Call 888-SURGERY to schedule an appointment with Paul MacKoul MD, Bethesda, Natalya Danilyants MD, or Britton Chahine MD, physicians of The Center for Innovative GYN Care.

Get to know more about CIGC Lead Physician and Senior Partner Dr. Paul J. MacKoul -LinkedIn.

Dr. Paul J MacKoul wants you to Learn all the Facts before your GYN Surgery

Robotic GYN procedures have more complications than DualPortGYN surgery. When robotic surgery is recommended, patients need to get a second opinion from a GYN specialist.

Most patients take off more time for recovery due to increased pain. Robotics uses larger and more incisions than standard laparoscopic surgery or DualPortGYN procedures. These are delicate surgeries, and there are better, more sophisticated surgical options.

Paul J. MacKoul, MD - Bethesda and Natalya E. Danilyants, MD use retroperitoneal dissection in the DualPortGYN approach, which helps to visualize the entire anatomy surrounding the uterus and ovaries, providing a roadmap and minimizing complications.

Any time Robotic surgery is used for GYN treatment, there is an increased risk of damage to surrounding areas, including nicks to the bowel and the ureter, often requiring additional surgery to correct. With better options for recovery and pain, if your OB/GYN recommends robotic surgery, contact CIGC for a consultation to review alternative surgical options. Learn more about Dr. MacKoul and CIGC from Dr.Paul MacKoul presentations.

• The American Congress of OB/GYN (ACOG), the premier society in Obstetrics and Gynecology: OB/GYN’s should be using other types of procedures such as standard laparoscopy instead of robotics.

• The American Association of GYN Laparoscopic Surgeons (AAGL), the largest and most well regarded society for minimally invasive GYN surgery worldwide: Robotic surgery should not be used if standard laparoscopy and vaginal hysterectomy are available.

LESS PAIN FROM GYN SURGERY GETS PATIENTS BACK TO THEIR LIVES FASTER

Shorter Recovery Times, Less Pain

If you are concerned about how long GYN surgery will keep you out of work, there are several important things to consider, and the first is choosing the right specialist. Fellowship-trained laparoscopic GYN surgeons like Paul J MacKoul MD  focus solely on minimally invasive procedures, reducing your down time from surgery to days instead of weeks. Smaller incisions and fewer of them means patients can often have surgery and return home the same day.

Many patients don’t have short-term disability, so getting back to a normal life, including returning to work, within a few days after a procedure can mean a huge difference to patients who face unpaid leave.

Procedures with less pain and fast recovery are the focus of Dr. Paul J. MacKoul, MD and Dr. Natalya E. Danilyants, MD at The Center for Innovative GYN Care (CIGC). Dr. MacKoul and Dr. Danilyants redefined minimally invasive treatments to 2 or fewer 5 millimeter incisions for all of the GYN surgical procedures they perform.

See how this compares with other procedures:

 

For cancer patients who need to begin additional treatments after surgery, faster recovery means therapy can start sooner. Knowing that treatment can happen quickly can have a positive effect on a patient’s outlook while going through chemotherapy and/or radiation. That positive outlook can also have an overall effect on total recovery.

As you decide which surgeon will perform your procedure, understand your options, including experience, techniques, the recovery times associated with each, and potential complications. Learn more about Dr. Paul MacKoul – highly trained, advanced laparoscopic specialist – and call CIGC to schedule your first appointment today.

RECOVER FASTER FROM GYN SURGERY

Shorter Recovery Times: Choosing the right surgeon can make all the difference

If you are concerned about how long you will be out of commission after GYN surgery, there are options that can reduce your down time from weeks to days.

Choosing a fellowship-trained laparoscopic GYN like Dr. Paul J Mackoul - Gynecologist is important for fast recovery. These specialists focus solely on minimally invasive procedures. At the Center for Innovative GYN Care, smaller incisions and fewer of them gets patients back on their feet faster. This is especially important for patients who face leave from work without pay. Not every company offers short-term disability insurance, and many who are self-employed can’t risk long recoveries without taking a huge financial risk.

The specialists at The Center for Innovative GYN Care have redefined minimally invasive surgery. Dr. Paul J. MacKoul, MD and Dr. Natalya E. Danilyants, MD at CIGC have developed GYN procedures with 2 or fewer 5 millimeter incisions for all of the surgeries they perform.

See how this compares with other procedures:

CIGC surgeons NEVER perform open or robotic-assisted surgery. Robotic surgery has been proven to increase the risks of complications. Damage to surrounding areas are common with these surgeries, and often require having additional surgeons available to repair nicked bowels or ureters.

Be clear on all of your options. Ask about experience, techniques, the recovery times associated with each procedure and potential complications. As a patient, you have every right to ask for a second opinion, and knowing that you will have less worry as a result of going to an experienced specialist can make all the difference in your recovery. Read about Dr. Paul MacKoul MD, FACOG, Physician and Senior Partner at The Center for Innovative GYN Care, with locations throughout the DC Metro Area.