TONI: “Before 40, my menstrual cycle was not complicated. It was regular and lasted about 3 days. After 40, everything started changing. The flow increased, days fluctuated, and what started out as 3 days, turned into a complicated, horrible 7 days. It felt like my life began to revolve around my menstrual cycle. Out of frustration and defeat I called my sister to ask for advice.”
Toni and her sister Darmetta were experiencing exactly the same symptoms. Toni spoke with her doctor about different options to alleviate her menstrual cycle stress.
“After many tests my doctor discovered I had several fibroids,” said Toni. “Unfortunately, the only options she gave me were living with it, or birth control if I was still considering pregnancy. I left the doctor’s office frustrated and thinking ‘Oh well, this must be my new life if I want kids.’ Six years passed with no kids, and I was anemic from my menstrual cycle. I decided to revisit treatment options with my doctor. This time I was diagnosed with endometriosis and an enlarged uterus containing more fibroids.”
The only option Toni’s OBGYN gave her was a hysterectomy, either with a robot or as a bikini cut open procedure.
“I couldn’t take off work for 6-8 weeks and I didn’t want a long incision, or discomfort from major surgery; however, I finally agreed to a hysterectomy after my menstrual cycle got worse.”
Delaying fibroid removal surgery can lead to continued growth of the tumors. While most fibroids are not cancerous, the growth can lead to additional complications including increased bleeding during a period which can lead to anemia, pelvic pain related to sex or going to the bathroom, and complications with fertility.
“I began the process with my doctor, but something in the back of my head kept saying, ‘Surely, there are more options available.’ So, I began my internet search and found The Center for Innovative GYN Care website. I was ecstatic! There was a procedure that wouldn’t require me taking off work for 6-8 weeks. The only problem was I live in Houston, Texas and CIGC was in Maryland.”
Women from 46 states and 30 countries have consulted the advanced-trained CIGC minimally invasive GYN specialists. The travel program makes it possible for women to have a seamless experience when coming to CIGC for surgery.
The CIGC exclusive techniques DualPortGYN and LAAM fibroid removal for fertility were developed by the CIGC surgeons to help women with complex GYN conditions to have access to laparoscopic procedures with a rapid recovery.
“I printed everything about the DualPortGYN minimally invasive procedure from CIGC’s website and took it to my OBGYN to see if she could perform the procedure. She was only versed with the da Vinci robotic surgery or the old-fashioned open surgery, so I put it off once again.”
“Feeling defeated and overwhelmed, I contacted CIGC for more options. The process was effortless: I submitted all my information online, discussed estimated fees (which were overall cheaper than Houston, Texas), and consulted with Dr. Natalya Danilyants. She said all the right things and reassured me that she could not only un-complicate my menstrual cycle, but get me back to work in 2 weeks. It was a miracle!”
Toni flew to D.C. with her mom for surgery with Dr. Danilyants.
“After the procedure I had to use the restroom. The nurse gave me the option of a bed pan or walking to the restroom if I felt I could, so I said yes, ‘I don’t feel like anything happened, I think I can walk.’ As I began to get up, my mom walked in and said, ‘No baby, you can’t walk, you just had surgery.’ I said, ‘Mom, I don’t feel like I had surgery, I feel okay!’”
“That night I put on compression underwear to reduce the bloating and abdominal stress from surgery. The next morning, I took a shower by myself and began worrying my mom by walking around the hotel. I remember her saying, ‘You have to take it easy, you shouldn’t be walking like that-you just had surgery!’ and I said, ‘I only have this one micro-mini incision, and it doesn’t feel like I had surgery.’ While we were there, we explored D.C. one day, and Maryland the next, and then returned to Texas. About 14 days after surgery I helped a friend coordinate a wedding.”
“People were saying ‘Didn’t you just have surgery?’ and I said ‘Yes, but it doesn’t feel like I did.’ All that’s left of it is just one little micro-mini incision. That’s it. It’s been the best thing ever. I don’t have to alter my life anymore because of my cycle.”
Seven months later Darmetta needed a hysterectomy. Her doctor was going to do a traditional open hysterectomy, saying that her uterus was too large for a laparoscopic procedure. Toni asked Darmetta to postpone her surgery so they could look into alternatives. Darmetta also contacted CIGC about the DualPortGYN hysterectomy, but she felt confident in her own OBGYN to perform her hysterectomy.
DARMETTA: “My only apprehension was my relationship with my gynecologist. I thought it would be hard to make a decision without having a relationship with the doctor. If I had a chance to do it over, I would have gone to Maryland. The incision is across my abdomen is a bikini cut. I had over a dozen fibroids that were as big as 8 cm and as small as 2 cm. After the surgery, I had a lot of pain and discomfort and had to wear compression garments to help with the pain. A cough or a sneeze for me even now is torture. I’ve learned how to sneeze differently to protect the incision in my lower abdomen.”
Darmetta continues: “Everyone you know is at work. You get bored and start buying things you don’t need. The cabin fever gets to you. Being off this long takes up all of your vacation, but you don’t get to enjoy any of it.”
“The procedure my sister had and the one I had was night and day, and I felt so bad for her,” said Toni. “For me, having my hysterectomy in Maryland was worth it compared to what my sister went through. CIGC helped me get my life back, uninterrupted. I can travel uninhibited, I can return to running, and I’m not anemic anymore. This year, I’m looking forward to exploring the Vatican in Rome and fishing with my Dad in Alaska. I will advise ANYONE having a hysterectomy to have it done at CIGC, since they are the only facility offering the DualPortGYN minimally invasive procedure.”
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.
CIGC is dedicated to providing information and materials for women to help navigate the complicated healthcare system. The CIGC founders, minimally invasive GYN surgical specialists Dr. Paul MacKoul, MD and Dr. Natalya Danilyants, MD, developed their advanced GYN surgical techniques using only two small incisions with patients’ well-being in mind. Dr. Rupen Baxi, MD is a CIGC-trained minimally invasive GYN specialist with extensive fellowship training and a respected speaker and researcher.
Their personalized approach to 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
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