Heather W. (Arlington, VA), was diagnosed with four small to medium-sized fibroids in 2011, the largest being about golf ball sized. Even then, she was considering a hysterectomy, but choosing the right procedure was important.
“My doctor suggested doing a bikini cut hysterectomy and stated that was the only method that would work since I have fibroids. Other treatment methods were suggested, such as fibroid removal, injecting pellets into them to stop the bloodflow, and at the time the experimental method of blasting them with MRI waves (which wasn’t covered by my insurance and was being tested at University of Virginia. I was interested in the hysterectomy since it is a permanent solution to the fibroids. I never wanted to have children, however I did not want to get a bikini cut hysterectomy. So I went the least invasive route and treated my fibroids with my birth control pills.”
Waiting to remove fibroids can lead to intense pain, uterine distortion, infertility, and increased blood loss. It is an outdated approach to wait and watch, as fibroids will continue to grow and symptoms worsen.
“The pain increased daily. Apparently my fibroids were ‘banging into each other’. Or as I would say, there was a mosh pit going on in my uterus. Per my coworkers I was hunched over and paler than normal (some even stated I looked green). I tried not to let the pain I was experiencing prevent me from living my life. I’d still go to work, run errands, and was social. However, I was nowhere near as social as I was previously. I was just worn out from the pain and the fibroids themselves. The pain was pretty awful, but I tried not to focus on it. In fact, I didn’t realize exactly how bad it was until it was completely gone after my surgery. What a difference!”
“A really good friend had heard a radio commercial for The Center for Innovative GYN Care. She knew I was having a lot of pain and was becoming a bit down at the prospects of having them removed, or going through a bikini cut surgery. I have a very demanding job that I love, and I just couldn’t be away from work for weeks at a time or possibly months. I was terrified at the thought of not being able to be at the job I love or to be able to take care of myself with day to day activities like grocery shopping, housework, and other errands. I had heard nightmares about recovery times from hysterectomies including things like not being able to do stairs, not being able to lift more than 15 lbs, not being able to well….do much of anything. It was quite disheartening. Both my mother and sister had hysterectomies and well, their stories weren’t exactly uplifting on their experiences with the facilities, physicians, and procedures available at that time.”
“After I received the information on CIGC, I was given hope. The CIGC website had so much information that was helpful in making the decision that was right for me, and took away a lot of the concerns that I had about getting a hysterectomy. My outlook on having a hysterectomy slowly changed the more I read about what the different procedures were and the recovery times. All of the procedures are minimally invasive and the recovery times almost seemed too good to be true! I was so excited to see that he was in my insurance network! I was genuinely looking forward to my procedure, despite being nervous, as this was my first surgery.”
“I began researching reviews on CIGC and found some pretty amazing stories of relief and recovery from various conditions such as fibroids. There were so many wonderful reviews on Dr. Paul MacKoul”
“Dr. MacKoul is amazing. I don’t think amazing even covers it. He did a fantastic job with my surgery. He did an excellent job explaining the procedure and addressing any concerns. He also explained the differences between the other methods available and the methods CIGC uses. He is a fantastic surgeon. I am so thankful that I found him and was able to get my surgery done by him and CIGC. The CIGC staff was fantastic. Every staff member from the scheduler to the anesthesiologist team at the surgery center were a pleasure to work with and to be assisted by. Everyone was pleasant, competent, knowledgeable about the procedure, and went above and beyond to address any concerns or questions that I had.”
The DualPortGYN® technique was developed by the CIGC specialists Dr. Paul MacKoul, MD and Dr. Natalya Danilyants, MD. DualPortGYN minimally invasive hysterectomy procedures are performed in an outpatient setting, so women can return home the same day. Incisions are tiny, and placed in cosmetically appealing locations. One 5 mm incision is placed at the belly button, and another 5 mm incision is placed at the bikini line, so they are practically invisible after they heal. These incisions go through the midline, not through muscle, so recovery is faster. The incisions from a DualPortGYN procedure are so small, that in many cases, CIGC patients are back to work in less than a week, and scars are practically invisible within 1 to 2 months.
A DualPortGYN laparoscopic hysterectomy has a fast recovery, with most patients are back to their lives in 7 days.
“I am thrilled that this was an outpatient surgery with only one 5mm incision in my lower belly and one in my bellybutton. The DualPortGYN procedure was used and I am so very very thankful that I went to CIGC for this procedure. Everyone at the Surgery Center was fantastic. The facility itself was clean, welcoming, and secure. I felt safe and well cared for. I knew I was in good hands. The procedure itself only took a little over an hour. The waiting area where my parents were was comfortable and the staff was great at keeping my family posted.”
“My surgery was the day before Thanksgiving. I was able to walk after the surgery and do simple things for myself. I was able to have Thanksgiving dinner with my family the next day. A few days after that I was able to climb the three flights of stairs into my condo. There was some discomfort, but it was manageable and a lot less than what i had with my fibroids! Every day after that surgery I have been able to do more and more and the pain/discomfort has become less and less. Two weeks after my surgery I was able to put up my 7 1/2 ft Christmas tree and decorate it by myself without any help. I was able to return to work 10 days after my surgery. That is amazing. I have not had any discomfort while sitting at my desk working…which is new to me as I was in agony for quite a few months. It’s been almost a month since my surgery and what a difference! My color is back to normal per my coworkers, friends, and family. I have more energy. I am not in pain. I’m able to do so much more now and I grow stronger every day. It is literally a night and day difference since my surgery.”
“I plan on enjoying that I am no longer in pain from my fibroids! There are also a few concerts I plan on attending Plus, of course celebrating the holidays with my friends. Who knows? Anything is possible! As the saying goes….girls just want to have fun! Now I can have MORE fun without being in pain! Especially now that I have been relieved of this horrific chronic pain. Thank you so much Dr. MacKoul and CIGC! I am so thankful my dear friend referred me to you!”
The CIGC state-of-the-art specialists are available at three locations in the DC metro area. Virginia patients can visit the Reston, VA location, and Saturday appointments are available. Maryland offices are located in Rockville, MD and Annapolis, MD.
GYN surgical specialists can often see women sooner because they are focused entirely on surgery. Each patient gets detailed, in depth attention from Dr. Natalya Danilyants, Dr. Paul MacKoul and Dr. Rupen Baxi. This personalized care helps patients understand their condition and the recommended treatment so that they can have confidence from the very start. Our surgeons have performed over 20,000 GYN procedures and are constantly finding better ways to improve outcomes for patients.
Book a consultation today with Paul MacKoul MD, Natalya Danilyants MD or Rupen Baxi, MD.
Dr. Paul MacKoul Reviews: Vitals | RateMDs | Google | Wellness | UCompare
Dr. Natalya Danilyants Reviews: Vitals | RateMDs | Google | Wellness | UCompare
Dr. Rupen Baxi Reviews: Vitals | RateMDs | Google | HealthGrades | WebMD
CIGC TRAVEL PROGRAM
Even if you are not from the DC area, many patients travel to The Center for Innovative GYN Care for our groundbreaking procedures. We treat women from around the world who suffer from complex GYN conditions.
Learn more in our travel program.
Schedule a consultation to learn more about how we can treat your condition today.
