The uterus can lie in different positions in the pelvis, and it may vary from one woman to another. Most commonly, the uterus lies horizontally over the bladder, as do the ovaries. As the uterus enlarges with pregnancy, or perhaps with a large fibroid, it will cause increasing pressure on the bladder, and this results in increasing urinary frequency, pressure symptoms, and perhaps lower abdominal protrusion.
Hysteroscopy uses a hysteroscope, which is a thin telescope that is inserted through the cervix into the uterus. Modern hysteroscopes are so thin that they can fit through the cervix with minimal or no dilation. Although hysteroscopy dates back to 1869, gynecologists were slow to adopt hysteroscopy.
I have been involved in learning about and helping to develop alternatives to hysterectomy for many years. I have been instrumental in refining the use of the laser in an office setting to treat pre-malignant diseases of the cervix. I have treated thousands of women with the laser, many of whom would have otherwise had a more invasive treatment or hysterectomy.
A very common question of perimenopausal women is whether or not they are still able to get pregnant, and this inquiry may originate from one of two concerns. Some women in the perimenopausal range may still want to conceive, either to start a family or to add to an existing one, and are seeking information to help with that decision.
The majority of women in the perimenopausal period have completed their childbearing and resolutely do not want to conceive at this age. This gives rise to the question as to what contraceptive method they should use to prevent an unwanted pregnancy. At this stage in their lives, an unintended pregnancy would be devastating, and it is something they are usually very eager to avoid.
Hot flashes, hot flushes, power surges-- they go by a variety of names and are one of the most common symptoms of the perimenopause and menopause. Often a premenopausal woman will ask, "how will I know if I am having hot flashes"? This can be compared to the question a woman who has never had a baby asks, "how I will know if it's really a contraction"? If a woman is having significant hot flashes, she will not have to ask!
The benefits of using the patch for hormone replacement, with a few exceptions, are not significantly different from those when taken in a pill form. The choice should depend primarily upon the woman's preference, and for those choosing the patch there are a few small tricks for making it easier to use.
In the United States alone, it is conservatively estimated that there are between 10 and 20 million women suffering from the involuntary loss of urine! The large baby boomer population of the United States is now moving through the menopausal transition period when this involuntary loss of urine (urinary incontinence) often becomes worse, and consequently the number of women with incontinence will only increase.
If a doctor or health care professional recommends that a woman should have a hysterectomy and she elects to proceed, then there are certain decisions that need to made in planning the surgery. There are many reasons for deciding to have the uterus removed, and numerous articles and books have been written on this topic.
A hysterectomy is the surgical removal of the uterus. One talks of total hysterectomy, if the entire uterus is removed (cervix and corpus) and of subtotal if the cervix is kept in place. During this intervention the ovaries may be removed too.
Progesterone is a natural hormone which is produced by the ovary during the second half of the menstrual cycle. It's biological function is to change the lining of the uterus so that the cells which line the uterus can provide nutrition to the developing embryo during the earliest phases of development after conception.
Hysterectomy is the removal of the uterus. This can be done through either an abdominal or a vaginal incision, and either with or without removal of the ovaries. Almost 600,000 hysterectomies are performed each year in the U.S. This makes hysterectomy the second most common major surgical procedure performed in this country, with the first most common being cesarean section.
All week, you would plan what to wear and think of how it was going to be. Your heart beat with excitement as you thought of what might happen that night... The day of the date arrived, you took special care with your hygiene. You placed perfume behind your knees, etc. made sure you wore your prettiest and cleanest lingerie, and you were ready.. So, was he, as he too planned for this special night. "Pleasurable Anticipation"
Losing your keys? Losing your patience? Losing your mind? If you are a midlife woman having difficulties, the solution may be increasing your estrogen level. More and more research studies are showing beneficial effects of hormone replacement on mental functioning. Women taking estrogen showed increased brain activation and reinstated patterns observed in younger subjects performing memory tasks, according to a recent study.
No matter which type of hysterectomy you are having, you are going to need help at home after. There are a lot of things you can do to get ready for this!
Adenomyosis is a benign disease of the uterus in which components normally limited to the endometrium (the thin innermost uterine layer) are found within the myometrium (the middle muscular layer of the uterus). The exact prevalence of adenomyosis is not known because the diagnosis can be made only by microscopic examination of uterine specimens obtained during surgery or, less often, during biopsy.
A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association asserts that 43% of American women are experiencing some sort of sexual dysfunction during a 12 months period. As a result, female sexuality has become the new mass media debate. With all that exposure many women are wondering if something is wrong with them? What’s going on?
When “suddenly single” most men and women have been out of the dating game for some time. They often feel awkward, stymied or fearful when it comes to start looking for companionship again. Here’s my re-entry advice:
I've been seeing a man regularly for the past year. We get along great and the chemistry is there – lots of love on both sides. However, I feel growing anger. I've been waiting for him to ask me to live with him or get married. I've been giving him plenty of hints but it's not working. I think he likes it the way it is. I don't want to lose him but the stress of waiting really affects my feelings. Why can’t I get him to act? How long should I wait?
I was a dysfunctional husband throughout my marriage because of my marijuana habit. After we separated, my father took ill and my Mom’s health was failing so I was back and forth to help her.
If you have just been told that you may need to have a hysterectomy, what are you feeling? Frightened, uncertain, vulnerable, angry, out of control -- don't panic. I don't think anyone could have had any more of a negative reaction than I did when I was told, "you should probably think about having surgery."
Talk w/your anethesiologist before surgery to let him know any concerns, fears and what to expect when you wake up. If pain or feeling sick are issues, he/she can help make this easier! It is possible to wake up feeling pretty good and able to eat afterwards!
I was intimidated from the get-go. I was a 23 year old woman going on her fourth Laparoscopy for endometriosis. I had been experiencing severe pain and abnormal bleeding with and w/o my periods since I was fifteen, diagnosed with endometriosis at eighteen and already had three surgical laparoscopies to remove the endometial growths.
More than 10 million American women suffer from excessive menstrual bleeding or heavy periods, a condition known as menorrhagia. In fact, more than 20 percent of the 600,000 hysterectomies performed annually in the United States treat menorrhagia. But because this health issue is so rarely discussed, few women realize that the condition can be easily treated during a 30-minute outpatient procedure as opposed to having a hysterectomy.
Designer estrogens, SERMS, are two terms currently being used to describe the actions of a medication that acts as an estrogen on one tissue and an anti-estrogen on others. The ideal estrogen medication would switch of or off the effects of estrogen at different sites in the woman's body.
It's 2:00 a.m. on a Friday. Your doctor is home in bed, where the rest of the world should be. But not you...you're online wondering whether this stomachache you have is life threatening or just a bad reaction to the steak you had at dinner. So where do you go? Do you rush to the hospital to wait 3 hrs. in the ER to be told to "go home and call your doctor," for the "small fee" of $1000 or so?
Does hysterectomy mean a woman's sex life is ruined? Here, Paul Indman, MD, shares his take: orgasm is still in the cards for many women.
The purpose of this report is to present physicians with several surgical alternatives to hysterectomy for women experiencing menorrhagia and dysfunctional uterine bleeding. Approximately 8700 hysterectomies are performed annually in Minnesota.
In a recent study, researchers found that, while the IUD did not protect HPV infection, it may impede the progression of HPV to cervical cancer. With this in mind would you recommend the use of an IUD to your patients who have tested positive for HPV in order to possibly prevent cervical cancer?
Entering the word ‘contraception’ into a search engine will result in over one million hits, from commercial sites to personal homepages and scientific sites. How can the physician find the information s/he is seeking in this overwhelming labyrinth? This review presents a guideline for quick access to practical professional information in the field of contraception and reproductive health care.