Eighty-five percent of women who use no contraceptives during vaginal intercourse become pregnant each year. The only guarantee against pregnancy is not having vaginal intercourse. Other contraceptive methods can greatly reduce the risk of pregnancy during vaginal intercourse.

Long Island Women’s Health Care Group offers many options and information for all types of birth control.

Laproscopy is direct visualization of the peritoneal cavity, ovaries, outside of the tubes and uterus by using a laproscope. The laproscope is an instrument somewhat like a miniature telescope with a fiber optic system which brings light into the abdomen.

Colposcopy is a diagnostic tool to determine the cause of abnormalities found in Pap Smears. A colposcopy is a visual examination of the cervix – a relatively simple and painless procedure, usually performed in the office. The actual procedure takes approximately 10 to 15 minutes.

A colposcopy seems much like a Pap smear, however, there are a few differences. Acetic acid is (such as table vinegar) is placed on the cervix which causes the cervical cells to fill with water so light will not pass through them. Another difference that you will notice is that your doctor uses a colposcope to view your cervix. A colposcope is a large, electric microscope that is positioned approximately 30cm from your vagina. A bright light on the end of the colposcope makes it possible for your physician to visualize your cervix.

Your doctor focuses on the areas where no light passes through. Abnormal cervical changes are seen as white areas, the whiter the area, the worse the dysplasia. Abnormal blood vessel changes are also apparent through the colposcope. Abnormal vascular changes can occur in dysplasia. Typically, the worse the vascular changes are the worse the dysplasia.

If your doctor is able to view the entire abnormal area through the colposcope, a tissue sample or biopsy is taken from the whitest abnormal areas and sent to the lab for further evaluation.

Menopause is the time in a woman’s life when she stops having menstrual periods and marks the end of the reproductive years that began in puberty. The average age that women go through menopause is 51 years. Menopause is a natural event and the physical changes that occur around menopause should not prevent you from enjoying this time in your life. Most women enjoy a healthy lifestyle for years afterward.

Long Island Women’s Health Care Group will help you through this transition time and will be there to answer any questions you may have – from what your body may experience such as hot flashes, sleep problems, vaginal and urinary tract changes, bone and body changes and emotional changes to sexuality issues you may want to discuss.

We will be glad to provide information on the benefits and risks of hormone therapies available, the importance of good nutrition and exercise that will help you through this time in your life.

PMS is a hormonal disorder characterized by a regularly recurring group of symptoms which occur from 2 to 14 days before a woman’s menstrual period. These symptoms usually disappear after your period begins. PMS can affect your emotional and physical well-being. The most common symptoms are: irritability, anxiety, tension, mood swings, depression, bloating, breast tenderness, headache, increased appetite including a craving for sweets, cold sores, fatigue and back pain. Symptoms are individual and vary from every woman.

There is no single therapy or treatment for PMS. You and your doctor may need to work together over a period of several months to find the treatment that works best for you. Depending on your symptoms and their severity, your doctor may recommend one or more of the following:

We know from experience, too many women resign themselves to needless discomfort. There is help available for PMS.
Your doctor can provide substantial help in making sure you have the best treatment available. But only you can make changes in your life style that may be necessary to prevent disease.

Hysterectomy is the surgical removal of a woman’s uterus. It may also involve the removal of the fallopian tubes and ovaries. Once a hysterectomy is performed, a woman can no longer have children or menstrual periods. Hysterectomy is used to treat a number of conditions, such as excessive menstrual bleeding and cancer.
This procedure may be performed to correct various gynecological problems including:

– Heavy, irregular or abnormal menstrual bleeding
– Fibriods
– Endometriosis
– Uterine Prolapse
– Cancer of the uterus, ovary or cervix
– Pelvic inflammatory disease

The physicians at Long Island Women’s Health Care Group have a complete program in place to help manage osteoporosis. The treatment starts with testing. And it’s never too early.

Women with a family history of osteoporosis or with any of the risk factors should discuss bone density testing with their doctor.

Loss of bladder control is a condition called urinary incontinence. Millions of Americans have such a condition which causes them to leak urine. Because incontinence is a symptom, it is important to report this condition to your doctor. A thorough evaluation can determine the cause of your incontinence.

Today, more than ever before, help is available. Incontinence usually can be cured, treated, or adequately managed so that bladder control problems need not interfere with a healthy, productive, and active lifestyle.

It is estimated that over 12 million Americans have urinary incontinence which affects all ages, both sexes, and people of every social and economic level. It is also estimated that 15 to 30 percent of people over the age of 60 who live at home have incontinence. Women are twice as likely as men to have this condition. In addition, at least half of the 1.5 million Americans who reside in nursing homes are incontinent.

Traditional open gynecologic surgery, using a large incision for access to the uterus and surrounding anatomy, has for many years been the standard approach to many gynecologic procedures. Yet with open surgery patients can experience significant pain, trauma, a long recovery process and threat to surrounding organs and nerves. Fortunately, less invasive options are available. Some gynecologic procedures enable surgeons to access the target anatomy using a vaginal approach, which may not require an external incision. But for complex hysterectomies and other gynecologic procedures, robot-assisted surgery with the da Vinci® Surgical System may be the most effective, least invasive treatment option.