Gynecology FAQs
What should I expect at my Annual Exam?
Your annual exam will focus on preventative medicine, so we will look at what screening tests you’re ready for based on your age. For example, mammograms will expect to start at age 40.
There’s been a shift from the last several years that you always had a pap smear with every annual exam. Now, we educate our patients that until age 30 it’s once every 3 years. After age 30 it’s once every 5 years, assuming that tests have all been normal.
Also, annual exams are a good time to review immunizations and to make sure you’re up to date. We will also spend a portion of your visit on education about healthy lifestyles, exercise and good nutrition.
Women SHOULD have an exam every year, even if they are not due for a pap smear.
What do I need to do before my GYN surgery?
Click here for Pre-op instructions.
What do I need to know after my GYN surgery?
Click here for Post-op instructions.
Are there other surgical options for hysterectomy?
If your doctor recommends hysterectomy, you may be a candidate for da Vinci Hysterectomy, one of the most effective, least invasive treatment options for a range of uterine conditions. da Vinci Hysterectomy is performed using the da Vinci™ Surgical System, which enables surgeons to perform with unmatched precision and control – using only a few small incisions.
For most patients, da Vinci Hysterectomy can offer numerous potential benefits over traditional approaches to vaginal, laparoscopic or open abdominal hysterectomy, particularly when performing more challenging procedures like radical hysterectomy for gynecologic cancer.
Potential benefits include:
- Significantly less pain
- Less blood loss
- Fewer complications
- Less scarring
- A shorter hospital stay
- A faster return to normal daily activities
Moreover, da Vinci provides the surgeon with a superior surgical tool for dissection and removal of lymph nodes during cancer operations, as compared to traditional open or minimally invasive approaches. da Vinci Hysterectomy also allows your surgeon better visualization of anatomy, which is especially critical when working around delicate and confined structures like the bladder. This means that surgeons have a distinct advantage when performing a complex, radical hysterectomy involving adhesions from prior pelvic surgery or non-localized cancer, or an abdominal hysterectomy.
As with any surgery, these benefits cannot be guaranteed, as surgery is both patient- and procedure-specific. While radical hysterectomy or abdominal hysterectomy performed using the da Vinci Surgical System are considered safe and effective, these procedures may not be appropriate for every individual. Always ask your doctor about all treatment options, as well as their risks and benefits.
Learn more about da Vinci at www.davincisurgery.com.