Women’s Health Services in Carteret
Excellent Obstetrics & Gynecology (OB/GYN) Services
The Gynecologists at our facility specialize in women’s reproductive health and general women’s health. Women often start seeing gynecologists when they become sexually active or at the onset of puberty. All women should see a gynecologist on a regular basis, but not all women will need to see an obstetrician.
Common gynecological conditions include:
- Abnormal periods
- Menopause side effects
- Incontinence
- Endometriosis
- Pelvic inflammatory diseases
- STDs
- Sexual dysfunction
- Birth control issues
- Uterine and ovarian cancers
- Pregnancy-related tumors
Obstetricians - Obstetricians are part of a woman’s care team during pregnancy. They care for the woman and the unborn baby. They are trained to handle pregnancy complications and unexpected events during labor and delivery. Obstetricians may also assist with fertility treatments.
The Importance of Regular Gynecologic Exams
It is recommended that women should visit the gynecologist at least once a year for health screenings. Many gynecological screening procedures do not need to be done on an annual basis, so you will not necessarily have the same experience every visit. Most medical professionals agree that annual pelvic exams are not necessary for healthy women, making annual gynecological exams less invasive than they used to be.
Know when to schedule routine health screenings:
- General exam – It is good practice to see a gynecologist at least once a year. During this visit you can discuss reproductive concerns, problems you may have had, and receive non-invasive screenings for cancer and other conditions. You should also receive an STD screening if you have been sexually active.
- Pelvic exam – Many patients are reluctant to have pelvic exams, but they are an extremely important tool to catch uterine or ovarian cancer in the early stages. Historically, gynecologists have recommended patients receive exams once a year, but now it is generally agreed that healthy women between the ages of 21 and 39 can wait between 1 to 3 years. Women over 40 should receive annual exams.
- Breast exam – Like pelvic exams, medical professionals have recommended healthy women between the ages of 25 and 39 should receive a clinical breast exam every 1 to 3 years. From age 40 and up, they should upgrade from physical exams to mammograms and receive one every 1 to 2 years.
- Pap smear – It is a common misconception that Pap smears and pelvic exams are the same things. The truth is that these are different procedures that inform doctors on different things. A Pap smear is primarily used for the detection of cervical cancer. From ages 21 to 29 it is recommended you have a pap smear every 3 years. As you grow older, your risk of cervical cancer decreases, and by age 30, many women will only need one every 5 years. If there have been no abnormalities by age 65, you can likely stop having them entirely.
Gynecological & Obstetric Surgeries
- Dilation and Curettage (D&C) –The goal of this procedure is to remove the lining of the uterine wall using a suction or cutting tool. The sample of wall obtained can be tested for signs of cancer and other problems.
- Hysteroscopy - Another diagnostic procedure where the gynecologist observes the insides of the uterus using a long, tube-shaped camera called a laparoscope. The laparoscope can also obtain tissue samples.
- Hysterectomy – Some women can benefit from having the uterus removed if they have high-risk for cancer and other medical conditions. Hysterectomies can be performed minimally invasively with a laparoscopy.
- Myomectomy – This procedure is performed to remove fibroid growths from the uterus to prevent them from causing pain or becoming cancerous. Small tools will be used to remove the fibroid minimally invasively.
- Ovarian Cystectomy – Though many cysts do not cause any problems, some can produce painful symptoms and need to be removed. Ovarian cystectomy is a minimally invasive procedure that removes cysts from the ovaries.
