Embolization is a risk for women with large fibroids. Before agreeing to a fibroid embolization procedure, women need to know the possible complications that can follow. There is a relatively high rate of reintervention with UFE/UAE treatment. Myomectomy and hysterectomy procedures outperform embolization, as all fibroids are removed, and there are fewer post-surgical complications. The Center for Innovative GYN Care founders Dr. Paul MacKoul and Dr. Natalya Danilyants have developed advanced minimally invasive techniques to perform these procedures using only 2 incisions. Women recover in 10-14 days after laparoscopic LAAM myomectomy and in 7-10 days after minimally invasive DualPortGYN hysterectomy. Learn more in this article by The Center for Innovative GYN Care, shared by WTOP News: HYSTERECTOMY MAY STILL BE REQUIRED AFTER A FIBROID EMBOLIZATION PROCEDURE.
To speak with a CIGC physician about your fibroid removal options, call 888-SURGERY or reach out online. Our patient relations coordinators will be happy to assist you in scheduling a conversation with a surgical specialist. Women residing outside the Washington DC area can look into CIGC's travel program. For patient feedback, visit online review sites: Dr. Paul MacKoul Reviews | Dr. Natalya Danilyants Reviews.
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A hysterectomy procedure can be performed as open, robotic or laparoscopic surgery, which directly impacts post-operative recovery. Women should know, the less invasive the surgical approach is, the quicker the patient recovers after surgery. Many women residing outside the Washington DC area, have traveled to CIGC for laparoscopic surgery providing faster recovery compared to more invasive options offered at home. CIGC travel patient, Toni, had DualPortGYN hysterectomy for fibroids. She made the decision to travel from Texas, and recovered in 1 week. Her sister Darmetta, who also struggled with fibroid symptoms, chose to undergo an open hysterectomy back home, and six weeks later, is still recovering. Read about the sisters' journey in this recent blog: DualPortGYN vs Open Hysterectomy: The Journey of Two Sisters The DualPortGYN advanced technique was developed by CIGC founders Dr. Paul MacKoul and Dr. Natalya Danilyants to improve patient outcomes. 2 midline incisions are used, only 5mm each, and women are usually back to work within 1 week. To speak about your options for advanced minimally invasive treatment of complex GYN conditions, call 888-SURGERY or reach out online.
Patient feedback is available in the patient spotlight section of the CIGC website, and on doctor review sites: Dr. Paul MacKoul Reviews | Dr. Natalya Danilyants Reviews.
At the beginning of 2016, Aziza was looking to diagnose her heavy periods. During an ultrasound she found out for the first time that she had fibroids, which were in fact diagnosed 5 years prior.
“The technician casually said, ‘Let’s check on those fibroids that you had five years ago.’ I said emphatically, ‘I don’t have fibroids. What fibroids?’ She replied ‘Here on your chart we saw them during your last emergency room visit.’ I left the ultrasound feeling angry, betrayed and victimized knowing that 5 years of ignorance let my then three fibroids grow from 2cm to 9cm, 4cm, and 5cm with an additional 3cm in the group.” Aziza said.
She wasn’t told about the fibroids when she was first diagnosed, and 5 years later they had grown. Delaying fibroid treatment can be dangerous as it can lead to anemia, and infertility. AZIZA DID NOT WANT A HYSTERECTOMY, AND SEARCHED FOR A BETTER OPTION Aziza started to look for fibroid removal options, which would allow her to preserve fertility. Surgical treatment for fibroids can be provided via myomectomy, which is fibroid removal with preservation of the uterus, and hysterectomy, which is uterus removal, and definitive treatment. “I quickly exhausted the medical expertise of the OBGYN providers in my state, each one looking relatively grim at my situation in terms of maintaining fertility. My fibroids were a mixed bag (i.e. Intramural, submucosal and subserosal). At age 34, I still wanted to have children or at least one, and was now faced with talks of hysterectomy. I said NO!” In many cases, doctors are not comfortable removing large or multiple fibroids from the uterus due to the risk of blood loss and the time required under anesthesia to remove them. At CIGC, our surgeons are able to perform removal of fibroids any number and size via laparoscopic myomectomy, if the patient is able to retain fertility. “It was one thing to have been silently growing unchecked tumors out of medical neglect and ignorance, but it was another thing to face a hysterectomy because of it. So many nights I laid on the floor flooded with tears and praying to God as I searched alternative therapies online, read through countless women’s stories of battling their fibroids, surgical/non-surgical treatments and testimonials of women all across the country. I wanted to give myself a whole year of change before I decided on any surgery. In July, I went in for a MRI which revealed 8 fibroids, (double the number the ultrasound showed) 2 of which were showing signs of necrosis. I started investigating places across the country who could do a myomectomy and still save my fertility. By God’s sweet grace I found The Center for Innovative GYN Care (CIGC).” TRAVELING FROM NY TO DC FOR LAAM FIBROID REMOVAL Aziza reached out to us and made the decision to travel for the advanced LAAM procedure. LAAM is a minimally invasive myomectomy surgery, developed by CIGC founders Dr. Paul MacKoul and Dr. Natalya Danilyants, to provide better surgical outcomes for patients. Only 2 small incisions are used, and women recover in 10-14 days after surgery. “Dr. Danilyants alleviated my fears. This is all she does every week – perform and correct complicated OBGYN cases like mine. The icing on top of all this great news was that the recovery time was much faster than any other procedure. This was also a huge point of concern for me as I would primarily have to go through this surgery alone, and needed to be ambulatory as quickly as possible.” In Aziza’s case, the imaging did not reveal all the fibroids. During the LAAM procedure, 25 fibroids and an ovarian cyst were removed. “The number of fibroids was more than I had thought possible. Despite the shock of the number, I was able to recover from day 1 without much assistance. This was of huge significance to me! The CO2 gas and bowel pain were significant afterwards, but lessened with rest, walking, and lots of fiber! I feel that I received the best surgical outcome possible anywhere!! A few weeks after, walking fully upright as if it didn’t happen, I returned to normal activities & work.” TALK TO CIGC ABOUT YOUR OPTIONS Call 888-SURGERY or contact us online to schedule an appointment with a fibroid specialist at CIGC: Paul MacKoul MD, Rupen Baxi MD, or Natalya Danilyants MD. Women have traveled to CIGC from 46 states and 18 countries, for advanced laparoscopic GYN surgery. Out-of-town patients can find out more about the process on our travel program page. CIGC patients share their experience online, visit doctor review sites for feedback: Dr. Paul MacKoul Reviews | Dr. Rupen Baxi Reviews | Dr. Natalya Danilyants Reviews. Endometriosis is a severe disorder wherein tissue that normally lines the uterus grows outside of it. This tissue develops on the ovaries, fallopian tubes or even the intestines. This can lead to a wide range of problems with intestinal and reproduction health. The most common symptom of endometriosis is lower abdominal pain. Menstrual irregularities – from abnormally heavy flow to missing menstrual periods – may begin before pain is felt. The onset of endometriosis can take place early on in life or in the later years. Minimally Invasive Endometriosis Excision With DualPortGYN
When it comes to this debilitating disease, early diagnosis and treatment is important. Symptoms are often dismissed as normal, that’s why endometriosis requires specialty GYN care. Many physicians are often not able to recognize the signs, and women struggle for years. Endometriosis specialists Dr. Paul MacKoul, Dr. Rupen Baxi and Dr. Natalya Danilyants use the advanced DualPortGYN technique to perform thorough resection of endometriosis. Due to the minimally invasive approach (two 5 mm incisions only), women recover faster, and with less pain. Hear from our patients, find endometriosis stories here: Kimberly’s Story: Traveling From Texas To Maryland For Top Endometriosis Surgery Bela’s Story: Dream Come True: Twins After Endometriosis Surgery DualPortGYN is a groundbreaking treatment approach that can help you live pain-free. To find out more from Dr. and Dr. Natalya DanilyantsCIGC physicians, call 888-SURGERY or book your consultation online today. A popular approach among women struggling with fibroids is to "watch and wait". This method has proven to be outdated as fibroids can grow and they can get large very fast. Large fibroids can distort the uterus, which makes getting pregnant difficult. Fibroids can affect fertility, as well as the ability to carry to term, so when dealing with this condition it's very important to seek the help of a specialist sooner rather than later. Safe and thorough minimally invasive fibroid removal, with fast recovery, is possible with the advanced LAAM technique, developed at CIGC by Paul MacKoul MD and Natalya Danilyants MD. It is essential that fibroids are thoroughly removed and the uterus is repaired so it can hold a growing pregnancy. Advanced minimally invasive GYN surgery can relieve symptoms and can increase the patient's chances to conceive and carry to term. Learn more in this recent blog: Fibroids and Pregnancy: How Surgery Can Help To schedule a consult with a CIGC fibroid specialist, call 888-SURGERY or contact us online. Patient feedback is available online on doctor review sites: Dr. Paul MacKoul Reviews | Dr. Rupen Baxi Reviews | Dr. Natalya Danilyants Reviews.
LAAM patient Tiffani from Fort Washington, MD did not know she had fibroids until she had an accident at work, and had to undergo physical therapy. Due to the location of the fibroids, the prescribed physical therapy caused her extreme pain, and she had also started bleeding. Tiffani decided to seek the help of a gynecologist.
“I went to 3-4 gynecologists at this point when one of them saw on my ultrasound that I had fibroids. As I was still doing physical therapy, one of the positions caused radiating pains from my uterus and it would go on for two weeks. This is what I imagined was like being in labor.” When Tiffani was a teenager, she was told she had endometriosis. She did not want surgery. “I just took pain medicine when I knew it was coming on. I always had something in my purse. I came from a military family so a lot of it was just suck it up, not knowing that you have a condition that will affect you long term. I was used to the pain, so painful or very heavy periods throughout my life never made me think it was fibroids.” ADVANCED MINIMALLY INVASIVE GYN SURGERY AT CIGC Tiffani searched for a fibroid removal specialist and discovered The Center for Innovative GYN Care. She had the minimally invasive LAAM procedure in March 2013. LAAM removes fibroids using only 2 small midline incisions, while preserving the uterus for fertility. One of the fibroids was near Tiffani’s spine, which caused the severe pain. After her minimally invasive myomectomy, Tiffani had to undergo resection of pelvic adhesions. Scar tissue is common in women who have endometriosis that is extensive, or left untreated. “We were trying to conceive about 6-9 months after the scar removal surgery. We tried for a while. After 6 months, we decided to try fertility treatment. My hormone levels were all over the place. My ovarian reserve was low. The last specialist said that I had a 15 to 24% chance of conceiving naturally and that I was going to need IVF.” GETTING PREGNANT AFTER FIBROID & SCAR TISSUE REMOVAL “January 2016 to April 2016 I was everything I could to take care of myself, drinking tea, eating really well. I found a supplement that’s supposed to repair the mitochondria in my DNA and I was thinking it might repair my eggs. Together with prenatal vitamins and this supplement, and monitoring my fertility cycle we managed to get pregnant in July 2016.” Tiffani and her husband are expecting their baby in early 2017. TALK TO A FIBROID SPECIALIST AT CIGC Women struggling with fibroids, looking for safe removal options, can speak with a CIGC specialist about available procedures. LAAM myomectomy is an advanced and thorough surgery that has allowed many women to get pregnant. DualPortGYN hysterectomy is definitive fibroid removal with only two 5mm incisions, allowing most women to go back to work within 1 week. The surgical outcomes of both procedures are superior to other available options. To schedule an evaluation with a fibroid specialist at CIGC: Paul MacKoul MD, Rupen Baxi MD, or Natalya Danilyants MD call 888-SURGERY or contact us online. Patient feedback is available on our website here and on doctor review sites: Dr. Paul MacKoul Reviews | Dr. Rupen Baxi Reviews | Dr. Natalya Danilyants Reviews.
Fibroid symptoms can be very disruptive, but many women still choose to delay treatment. Some are advised to watch and wait rather than seek surgical treatment, which in actuality is an outdated approach. When fibroids grow, symptoms become more severe. Large fibroids can distort the uterus and it becomes harder to preserve it for fertility. Watching and waiting can lead to major problems when it comes to the ability to conceive and carry a baby to term.
It takes a skilled specialist to thoroughly remove fibroids and repair the uterus so it can hold a growing baby. If fertility is no longer desired or the fibroids have created extensive distortion to the uterus, hysterectomy is recommended as definitive treatment. When these procedures are performed with minimally invasive approach, post-operative recovery is much faster and easier.
FIBROID REMOVAL AT CIGC: THE BENEFITS LAAM myomectomy is an advanced uterus sparing fibroid removal surgery that uses only 2 small incisions (one 5 mm incision at the belly button, and another 3 cm incision at the bikini line). The surgeon is able to feel the fibroids during the procedure, which makes removal very thorough. Using advanced surgical techniques, fibroids of any number and size can be removed with LAAM. Because of the minimally invasive approach, patients recover faster (10-14 days), with less complications and pain. Read in this blog what CIGC patients say about the LAAM procedure: Women Talk About LAAM: A Safer & Better Myomectomy DualPortGYN hysterectomy provides definitive fibroid treatment with a minimally invasive surgical approach. The technique uses two tiny 5 mm incisions: one at the belly button and one at the bikini line. A minimally invasive hysterectomy permanently relieves symptoms like abnormal bleeding and pelvic pain, and with DualPortGYN recovery is 1 week. Read in this blog what CIGC patients say about the DualPortGYN approach: Looking For A Top Hysterectomy Surgery: Women Talk About DualPortGYN Both procedures have been developed by CIGC surgeons Paul MacKoul MD and Natalya Danilyants MD to provide thorough removal with less pain, minimal scarring and a faster recovery for women. BOOK A CONSULT WITH A FIBROID SPECIALIST To schedule an evaluation with a CIGC fibroid specialist Rupen Baxi MD, Paul MacKoul MD or Natalya Danilyants MD call 888-SURGERY or contact us online. We have offices in Rockville, MD, Annapolis, MD and Reston, VA. Patients travel from outside the Washington DC area and from outside the country for innovative GYN surgery at CIGC: learn about our travel program. PATIENT FEEDBACK: CIGC Patient Stories Dr. Paul MacKoul Reviews | Dr. Rupen Baxi Reviews | Dr. Natalya Danilyants Reviews Many of our patients struggling with GYN symptoms come to see us after extensive damage has already occured. When conditions like fibroids and endometriosis are not treated early, they can damage surrounding organs and a woman's ability to conceive and carry to term can be affected. Many times women who could have retained their ability to get pregnant if they had gotten treatment sooner, and would like to preserve fertility, end up having hysterectomies as early as in their 20s and 30s. CIGC surgeons Paul MacKoul MD, Rupen Baxi MD and Natalya Danilyants MD use advanced laparoscopic techniques to treat complex GYN conditions. Safe and through fibroid removal that preserves fertility is achieved with the innovative LAAM technique: a minimaly invasive myomectomy with only 2 small incisions. The DualPortGYN approach is used for procedures like hysterectomy, resection of endometriosis, prolapse repair and others, with two 5MM incisions. Recovery after GYN surgery at CIGC is less than 2 weeks. Learn more about GYN symptoms and why it's so important to address them early in this recent blog on Dr. Natalya Danilyants' Tumblr: Waiting To Treat GYN Symptoms Can Affect Reproductive Health To schedule an evaluation with a CIGC physician, call 888-SURGERY or contact us online. You can find patient stories on our website here and on doctor review sites: Dr. Paul MacKoul Reviews | Dr. Natalya Danilyants Reviews | Dr. Rupen Baxi Reviews.
As women age, pelvic muscles can weaken and pelvic organ prolapse can occur. This is defined as prolapse or protrusion of pelvic organs (bladder, rectum, or uterus) into the vaginal canal and it is not the same as urinary incontinence. POP symptoms usually include a feeling of pelvic pressure, especially with sitting or standing, and the feeling that something is actually falling out of the vagina. Pelvic organ prolapse is mostly attributed to pregnancy and childbirth. Obesity and advanced age are also factors. Hysterectomy should not increase the risk of prolapse, if done properly. With advanced laparoscopic hysterectomy, all supporting ligaments and muscles are preserved.
Depending on the severity of the symptoms, surgical treatment may be indicated. When conservative treatments no longer help, and symptoms become too severe, surgery is a better option. It is however typically delayed until women are finished with childbearing. The choice of the procedure depends on the type of prolapse:
CIGC surgeons do not use synthetic mesh during pelvic organ prolapse repair procedures due to the potential negative long-term effects. The most common complication of transvaginal mesh placement is mesh erosion, causing severe pelvic pain and pain with intercourse. The rate of mesh erosion has been shown to be as high as 30%. Additional surgery is needed to remove the mesh. You can learn more about pelvic organ prolapse on our website here. To speak with a CIGC specialist Paul MacKoul MD or Natalya Danilyants MD about your options, call 888-SURGERY or contact us online. Women travel from across the country and around the world to CIGC for advanced minimally invasive GYN surgery with faster recovery, and less pain. Find here details about our travel program. CIGC patients share feedback about their experience on doctor review sites online: Dr. Natalya Danilyants Reviews | Dr. Paul MacKoul Reviews. FIND US ON SOCIAL MEDIA Natalya Danilyants MD on Facebook | Paul MacKoul MD on Facebook Natalya Danilyants MD on Twitter | Paul MacKoul MD on Twitter Natalya Danilyants MD on LinkedIn | Paul MacKoul MD on LinkedIn Leslie was diagnosed with fibroids and was looking for the right minimally invasive fibroid treatment that would allow her to preserve her uterus. One year after discovering the fibroids, Leslie decided to undergo a minimally invasive myomectomy at CIGC, with the LAAM technique. “Initially, I was going to go through a regular gynecologist, I was prepped to have the surgery, but I was told the surgery would be 3 hours, the incisions would be large, and I would have a 6-8 week recovery. I wasn’t too pleased with that. They also told me that if I bled too much, they would have to do an emergency hysterectomy. I wasn’t too receptive to that. I didn’t want a hysterectomy, I didn’t want to be in surgery that long because it opens you up to risks, and I would be tilted. It sounded very risky to me, so decided to look through other options.” Leslie said. She chose The Center for Innovative GYN Care. “Dr. Danilyants was able to remove all four of the the fibroids. Unlike my original doctor who told me she would only be able to remove one or two. I would have been disappointed in the other surgery, as it would have been half done, it wouldn’t have been worth it.” “I was surprised at the speediness of the recovery. I was pleased with that, and so far so good, I haven’t had any challenges or problems. I didn’t have any pain like a major surgery, but I was cognizant about what the doctor had asked me to do. After my surgery, I gave myself an additional week to clear mind, body, and soul.” “The incisions are fine. I didn’t have any problems with the healing. There was some tenderness for a while after the surgery, but you can barely see where the lower incision is, there is essentially no scar. The upper scar isn’t noticeable at all.” Leslie's full story is available on the CIGC website here: Leslie W., CIGC Minimally Invasive Myomectomy With Natalya Danilyants For more patient stories, visit the CIGC blog here or read online patient reviews: Dr. Natalya Danilyants Reviews | Dr. Paul MacKoul Reviews. To schedule an appointment with a CIGC physician Dr. Natalya Danilyants or Dr. Paul MacKoul, call 888-SURGERY or contact us online. Women who reside outside the Maryland and Virginia area, and are looking for advanced minimally invasive treatment options, travel to CIGC for GYN surgery: learn about our travel program. |