Women with large fibroids or other complex gynecological conditions often look for a skilled GYN specialist in their hometown and consistently hear that their only options are either an invasive open procedure or robotic procedure. Those surgeries can mean taking 6 weeks off of work to recover, putting them between a rock and a hard place.
Open myomectomy (fibroid removal surgery), or open hysterectomy are not the only options available for removing large fibroids. Finding the right minimally invasive GYN specialist may mean traveling for surgery. Many women with large fibroids who have limited options close to home, travel to The Center for Innovative GYN Care in the Washington, D.C. area for Dr. Natalya Danilyants, MD and Dr. Paul MacKoul, MD’s groundbreaking fibroid removal surgery.
LAAM, (laparoscopic assisted abdominal myomectomy) is a hybrid surgery that takes the best of laparoscopic fibroid removal procedures (faster recovery, minimal pain) and open procedures (thorough removal), and allows women to maintain their uterus without having a hip to hip incision.
Jenny B. from Wisconsin has a very demanding job as a physical therapist assistant to the elderly. When it came time to discuss options for her fibroids, her doctors only recommended a hysterectomy, and were not willing to perform minimally invasive surgery. That would mean being out of work for at least 6 weeks, as she had no options for light duty.
“As a physical therapist assistant for the elderly, I have to be able to lift and be there to support my patients,” said Jenny. “It’s a safety issue. And, like many women, I can’t afford to be away from my job for 6 weeks, either.”
Searching online, she found CIGC, and discovered she had much better options.
“After my consultation via phone with Dr. Danilyants, I was able to have minimally invasive fibroid surgery 2 weeks later!” said Jenny. “I had no hesitation in deciding to travel. Once I got (to Maryland), I felt very supported by the staff and that made it easier on me so I didn’t have to worry.”
In Rockville, the Even Hotel offers CIGC patients traveling from out of town a discount on their stay. Select the desired reservation dates and click on the orange Check Availability box.
Women who have fibroid removal surgery, hysterectomy or other procedures at CIGC often talk about how quickly they begin to feel back to normal. Most women are back to themselves in 10-14 days.
The first few days after her surgery staying in a local hotel, Jenny was grateful to have her mom nearby. All CIGC travel patients are required to have someone as a travel companion, so that each patient can focus on recovering from the procedure. A nurse visits patients at their hotel, and the doctors check in with each patient to follow-up after the surgery to ensure all is well. Patients follow up with their regular doctor when they return home.
As with any travel, weather can cause delays. “We stayed until Sunday because storms grounded all of the flights back to Wisconsin,” said Jenny. “But, as a lesson to share with other patients, take advantage of the airport wheelchair service! They take great care of you, and get you to the front of the line so you don’t have to fight to get onto your flight.”
After leaving Maryland, Jenny’s mom, who traveled with her for the surgery, came over to look after her.
“My mom checked on me the first two days after the surgery because she felt she needed to, but other than spending time with me, I really didn’t need much. I had heard and seen what other women had gone through for fibroid removal. Their recoveries were much longer. I really appreciated the small incision. I compared what I experienced to other women when I got home, and they were amazed.”
By 3 weeks, Jenny felt completely normal.
Prior to surgery, she had back pain and trouble going to the bathroom, including urgency and constipation. After the surgery, all of that was resolved. In addition, her love for horses was put on hold for a long time as she was dealing with the pain from fibroids. After the surgery, she is back in the saddle and enjoying getting back to what she loves.
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Surgical specialists can often see patients sooner because they are focused entirely on surgery. Each patient gets detailed, in depth attention from Dr. Danilyants and Dr. MacKoul. 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 Dr. Paul MacKoul, MD or Dr. Natalya Danilyants, MD.
Dr. Natalya Danilyants Reviews
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.
