The stigma surrounding women's reproductive health has been ongoing for decades. In some cases, patients don't feel comfortable discussing these issues with their own doctors — even if it means managing lifetimes of pain.
EvergreenHealth is taking a bold step to ending that needless suffering at the EvergreenHealth Women’s Specialty Care, Gynecology clinic.
“There really is a need,” said Dr. Rohan Hattiangadi with EvergreenHealth. “There's a lot of women in our community who suffer from these conditions on a daily basis, and there just isn't enough education out there for these women to be able to get access to.
“My goal is (for you to) come to the clinic, talk to us, and at by the time that you leave the appointment all of your questions are either answered, or we have a plan in place to be able to get you on the right path.”
Hattiangadi is a board-certified OB/GYN who has completed specialized fellowship training in minimally invasive gynecologic surgery. He has performed more than 1,500 gynecologic surgeries, many using a robotic surgery system resulting in a faster recovery time. His expertise is in complex pelvic conditions.
“Our department focuses on a few conditions that women deal with in terms of their gynecologic and reproductive organs,” Hattiangadi said. “So, we look at conditions like abnormal uterine bleeding, endometriosis, painful periods, pelvic prolapse and fibroids."
Treatment depends on the individual — but medications and surgery are both viable options.
“Things like hysterectomy or myomectomy, which is removal of the fibroids from the uterus, prolapse repair, which is to help elevate the uterus."
The most important thing Hattiangadi and colleagues are trying to do is remove the social stigma attached to these diseases.
“The first thing we do is we essentially have a consultation visit, and we sit there and we just talk,” he said. “I listen. I want to hear about what has been bothering you, how long has it been bothering you. Tell me about all the other symptoms that you've been experiencing. Because it's really, really important – a lot of these women deal with these conditions for years before they can finally actually see somebody who will just listen to them.
“And so once we do that, then we move forward with, ‘Ok, what are the different treatment options that are available? Is surgery the right thing for you? It's not always the right thing for everybody but if it is the right thing for you how can we do that expeditiously and safely and return you to your quality of life.’”
For more information, including scheduling a consultation, visit the Evergreen Health website, or ask your primary care physician for a referral.
Sponsored by EvergreenHealth. Segment Producer Joseph Suttner. Watch New Day Northwest 11 AM weekdays on KING 5 and streaming live on KING5.com. Contact New Day.