3D / 4D Ultrasound

Ultrasound Vision is a Charlottesville company that offers a chance for parents to see highly detailed images of their unborn baby with a 3D/4D ultrasound. The technology shows a baby sucking his or her thumb, smiling and even yawning.

Sylvia Wildermuth owns the Ultrasound Vision franchise in Charlottesville. She's a trained 3D/4D ultrasound tech. She requires all moms to be under a physician's care and have completed a second trimester diagnostic ultrasound with a doctor before getting a 3D/4D ultrasound at her company.

It is the same safe sound waves that are used with your doctor's ultrasound machine. Some doctors even have this exact same machine in their office," said Wildermuth.

The 3D/4D ultrasound shows detailed images of the baby, unlike a traditional black and white 2D ultrasound.

The 3D/4D ultrasound is a fun experience where mom, dad, grandparents and siblings can get a sneak peak of the baby.

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Sandpoint Women's Health Expands

With the addition of another physician, Sandpoint Women's Health will begin seeing both gynecological and obstetrics patients in Bonners Ferry beginning August 21, 2009. According to Hailey Honsinger, Sandpoint Women's Health Clinic Manager, four physicians will provide services at a rented space at Panhandle Health District.

"We wanted to serve the community in a better way," said Hailey. "We have been seeing obstetrics patients in Bonners Ferry for the past three years once a week, but we decided to provide more access to health care by expanding our services."

Hailey reported that four doctors will share the load of serving Boundary County by rotating their schedules. Deborah Owen, MD, Camille Santarpio, MD, Bruce Honsinger, MD, and Kristin Algoe, MD, will provide standard gynecological care including annual exams, general breast exams, IUD placement and general well woman care.

Obstetric care is the newest service that will be provided by the physicians of Sandpoint Women's Health. Hailey said that women will now be able to get most of their pre-natal care completed in Bonners Ferry although they will still need to travel to Sandpoint to get their ultrasounds as well as any other tests they may need. Patients of Sandpoint Women's Health will still need to travel to Bonner General Hospital for their babies' deliveries.

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Alcohol May Affect Women's Brains More

An Idaho State University researcher looking for gender-specific differences in how alcohol affects the brain says experiments on rats appear to show physiological stress responses are much higher in females.

Dan Selvage, an assistant professor of biomedical and pharmaceutical sciences, is conducting a five-year study with a $1.1 million grant recently received from the National Institute of Health.

He said the findings are significant because consistently high levels of stress hormones can mask the body's natural feedback and create stress-related disorders.

"If you have an infection, you won't notice the symptoms of it until it gets much worse because the stress hormones are blocking the way your body would respond to it and take care of it," Selvage told the Idaho State Journal.

Eventually, he said, the study could lead to gender-specific treatments for alcohol abuse in humans.

"Females tend to suffer the ravages of alcoholism much more quickly than males," Selvage said. "Part of that's due to metabolism, but another part of that is thought to be that alcohol activates body stress responses a lot more in females."

He said premenopausal females in particular have a much higher incidence of stress-related disorders, and that stress suppresses the immune system, leading to an array of health problems.

Selvage said alcohol tends to decrease testosterone secretion in males, but increases estrogen production in females. Extra estrogen, he said, is linked to an increased stress response.

"Stress responses originate at the level of the brain, and of course, the brain communicates with the pituitary, which then sends signals to the adrenal glands that release what's called cortisol," Selvage said.

Cortisol increases blood pressure and blood sugar while dulling the body's immune responses, Selvage said.

He said the study is being done in such a way so that small amounts of alcohol are injected directly into the cerebrospinal fluid of the rats.

"We give an animal with low estrogen levels alcohol and then we see what its stress response is by measuring hormones in the blood or by measuring activation of certain areas in the brain," Selvage said. "Then we look at a similar animal with high estrogen levels, give them alcohol and see what kind of response we get.

"We really look throughout the brain to see what brain pathways are involved in receiving this noxious alcohol. The whole idea is to come up with ways to try and block that stress response as well as you can."


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Perimenopause Management

Perimenopause can be defined as the stage of menopause transition years. In this stage the reproductive hormones, such as estrogens, progesterone and testosterone decreases. The periodic menstruation cycle becomes irregular and there are unpredictable fluctuations in levels of hormones. During the Perimenopause the fertility level of the woman also reduces, although it cannot be considered zero until she has reached the stage of menopause officially.

The menopause age can vary in women and so does the menopause transition years. Some of the women start experiencing the effects of the menopause transition at the age of 35 whereas many of them might experience the same in their mid or late 40s. The duration of Perimenopause can be of lesser than 10 years in some women while in some it might be longer. The bodily effects and severity of perimenopause is unpredictable and it may be vary in every individual women.

Perimenopause has different effect on women and during these transition years many women also undergo bodily changes due to fluctuations in the hormonal levels. One of the most common effects of menopause transition phase is "hot flash" or "hot flush". "Hot flash" or "hot flush" is referred to as sudden rise in the body temperature. When the flash sensation occurs in a woman, the body temperature rises to its peak and then rapidly drops down. Hot flashes can result in heavy sweating and can make the person feel tremendously weak.

Hot flashes can cause a lot of discomfort to the women but, they are not considered harmful by the doctors. To ease the discomfort caused by Hot flashes women can take prescription medications, or SSRI medications, or over-the-counter plant estrogens and herbal remedies. Other, Perimenopause effects include mood swings, insomnia, fatigue, anxiety, and lack of concentration. Some of the women who do not experience any physical effects of perimenopause may undergo some psychological changes. Medical treatment can basically help a woman in Perimenopause Management and lessen the impact of menopause transition.



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Abnormal Pap smear Management

Abnormal Pap smear Overview

Abnormal Pap smear is an indication of infection or presence of abnormal cells called dysplasia. A pap test is conducted to verify this abnormality. It is a routine screening test in which the cervix is scraped off from the womb or uterus. The cells of the cervix are examined by the doctors to check if there is any kind of change in the formation of the cells. With advancement in technology the Pap test helps in early detection of the abnormalities. Although, having an Abnormal Pap smear does not mean that you have cancer. Cancer is detected with the gynecologic pelvic exam which is usually done after the Pap test. Pap test is a very simple, quick, and painless screening test.

Facts about Abnormal Pap smear Test

• Regular abnormal Pap smear test is advisable for all the women who are sexually active.
• Abnormal Pap smear test has helped to reduce the deaths caused from cancer significantly.
• Abnormal Pap smear test is just a screening test and not a diagnostic test.
• Abnormal Pap smear test does not help to detect cancers of the uterus, fallopian tubes, or ovaries.
• Abnormal Pap smear test must be done at regular intervals of time even after hysterectomy.
• Abnormal Pap smear test can also be done when you are pregnant.

Causes of abnormal Pap smears

Abnormal Pap smear is caused due to infection or an inflammation. Some of the common causes of Abnormal Pap smear are Yeast infections, herpes, trichomonas, recent sexual activity, or use of vaginal preparations. In most of the cases the cause of Abnormal Pap smear is HPV or human papilloma virus which is also called genital warts. It is a very common infection that is found in most of the women who are sexually active.

Diagnosis of abnormal Pap smears

The three main factors that play an important role in the diagnosis of Pap smear are: patient’s medical history, Sample adequacy, and the presence or absence of cellular abnormalities. If the pap smears test is abnormal and your doctor notices some changes in cells of the cervix during the diagnosis then he may suggest treatments, such as Colposcopy, Endocervical curettage, and Biopsy. Depending upon the results the treatment is done.


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Total Laparoscopic Aortic Surgery Is Feasible, Shows Satisfactory Results

Newswise — Recently the use of laparoscopy for vascular procedures has been limited by difficulties in aortic exposure and anastomosis techniques, as well as the concurrent competitive progress of endovascular surgery. For aortic repair, best results (in terms of long-term patency) have been obtained by conventional surgery which has been associated short-term morbidity and mortality.

Endovascular techniques (which are noninvasive but have less reliable long-term results) as well as video-endoscopic aortic surgery are alternatives to conventional surgery. Minimally invasive surgery benefits include reduced time in intensive care and a shorter hospital stay; a quicker resumption of intestinal transit; less abdominal wall complications; and reduced requirements for anelgesics.

“The goal of total laparoscopic aortic repair is to achieve the same outcome as open repair without invasive laparotomy,” said Jérôme Cau, MD, professor at Poitiers University Hospital in Poitiers, France. “However, specialized training is required to master the procedure and get acquainted with coelioscopic practice necessary for laparoscopic suture.”

Dr. Cau said he and fellow researchers performed a study that completed a retrospective analysis of laparoscopic techniques for vascular procedures in a series of 219 patients, to determine its feasibility for treatment and outcomes with respect to aortic occlusive disease (AOD), abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) and aorto-renal bypass in the endovascular era. These findings were presented today at the 63rd Annual Meeting of the Society for Vascular Surgery®.

One hundred and twenty-seven AODs; 80 AAAs and 12 aorto-renal bypasses were studied from the hospital; this series did not include 110 aortic bypass patients operated on in others centers by this team. The mean patient age was 61 years and the gender ratio was three men to one woman. The mean operative time of procedures for AOD was 223 (±50) minutes, with a mean clamp time of 56 (±21) minutes. A total of 3.6 percent of AOD procedures had to be converted to open surgeries.

For laparoscopic AAA procedures, the mean operative time was 262 (±57) minutes and the mean “clamp time was 103 (±15) minutes. Eight AAAs had to be converted to an open procedure. The 30-day mortality rate was 0.9 percent. Overall mortality rate was 13.4 percent during a mean follow-up time of 16.2 months. The primary assisted patency rate for AAAs and occlusive disease was 100 percent.

Dr. Cau added that as any in any relatively new technique, laparoscopy’s place in vascular surgery remains to be defined. He noted that for aortoiliac occlusive diseases, this technique has shown excellent results and should compete with open repair for the treatment of TASC C & D occlusive diseases.

“Aneurysm repair in laparoscopy has been demonstrated to be feasible and reliable, and in our experience showed promising and satisfactory results,” noted Dr. Cau. “In the aneurysmal pathology we can predict that the competition with endovascular aortic repair (which is becoming the standard) will make laparoscopy more difficult to ‘find its place’ and make room for hybrid techniques. Specific training remains particularly important to reach technical success in laparoscopy and needs to be presented to the young generation of vascular surgeons in university pilot center.”

“Precise indications for this kind of surgery, compared to endovascular and open surgery, remain to be determined by randomized studies,” added Dr. Cau. “Nevertheless, it is a difficult technique. Further development will rely on effective training, advances in technique and instrumentation.”


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Women's Health: Sugary drinks can attack your health

There was an editorial recently in “The New England Journal of Medicine” whose headline easily caught my eye: “Ounces of Prevention-The Public Policy Case for Taxes on Sugared Beverages”, by Drs. Kelly Brownell and Thomas Frieden.

Because this is a health column rather than a political column, I don't plan to address the arguments for or against taxing sugar-sweetened beverages. The text of the editorial is available online at www.nejm.org, and I’d love to hear back from any of you with your reactions.

What I definitely would like to address, however, is the effect on our health from drinking sugared beverages.

I can’t begin to count the number of times I’ve had conversations with my patients about their weight-loss efforts, hearing over and over again how they can’t lose weight no matter what they do.

“What about sweetened drinks?” I ask. “Well, I do have that Big Gulp of Dr. Pepper for breakfast every morning…” they innocently reply. Sometimes I don't even need to ask — the cup has accompanied them into the office.

Most people have no idea of the number of calories represented by the liquids they down every day. An 8 ounce serving of Coke or Pepsi (just so I’m not picking on Dr. Pepper exclusively) has about 100 calories, or about 12 calories an ounce.

My guess is that no one drinks just one 8-ounce serving, so for that 32 ounce large cup you get 400 calories. That may not sound like a lot, but it is more than is in the medium serving of French fries you bought to go with the drink.

As if putting that number of empty calories into our own bodies isn’t bad enough, sugary drinks are a major cause of the continuing rise in childhood obesity. According to the editorial in The New England Journal, 10 to 15 percent of the calories consumed by children and adolescents now come from sweetened beverages.

The offending drinks aren't always soft drinks-non-carbonated beverages such as sports drinks and fruit-flavored drinks are just as unhealthy. Having “electrolytes” and being marketed for athletes does not make sugar and corn syrup-containing drinks into performance enhancers.

Summer has arrived at last, and as the weather heats up we will need to reach for cold drinks more and more often to replace the sweat we’re all losing during that half hour of exercise a day. (You are doing that, aren’t you?)

Consider that you’ve just burned about 100 calories by walking or running a mile. Do you want to negate that effort by drinking a measly eight ounces of a soft drink? And if you haven't burned any calories from exercise, do you want to add even more extra pounds to your waistline by reaching for that sugar-filled cup?

Don’t wait to find out if new taxes on your favorite beverages will help make that decision for you. Drink healthy, and encourage your children to do the same.


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National network cites St. Luke’s for women’s health

St. Luke’s Regional Medical Center has been named a “premiere hospital” by the Spirit of Women Health Network.

The Sioux City hospital is one of about 25 health care facilities nationwide and the only hospital in the tri-state region to obtain the designation, based on an evaluation of national standards that measure clinic excellence in women’s health care and community outreach.

“It is very rewarding to be recognized for programs we believe are vital for women of all ages,” St. Luke’s President and CEO Peter Thoreen said at a recent news conference.

The CEO was flanked at the podium by a number of the female staff members who helped compile the mountain of supporting paperwork included in St. Luke’s winning application. The audience included dozens more employees, who celebrated afterwards with cake and beverages.

According to Spirit of Women, a national network of U.S. hospitals aiming to improving the health of women and their families, St. Luke’s earned its premier status for women-centered care, call-to-action education and access to care in seven strategic areas.

Spirit of Women conducted its evaluation in cooperation with the Office onv Women’s Health and Department of Health and Human Services.

Kristen Cook, director of St. Luke’s Spirit of Women program, launched four years ago, offers a variety of innovative services, including an event that allows women to complete all their screenings and exams in one day. In addition, St. Luke’s has collaborated with Prairie Pediatrics to offer a teen health program for girls at high risk of diabetes and with Girls Inc. on a program focused on self esteem.

Four out of five Siouxland families now chose to have their babies born at St. Luke’s, which in 2008 set a new record for births with 2,102, according to the hospital.


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Feds want public ideas for women's health funds

UCSF is hosting a public meeting with the National Institutes of Health this week, giving Bay Area scientists and health care advocates a rare opportunity to help direct the future of federal funding for women's health research.

San Francisco is one of only four cities in the country hosting such meetings, which are designed to collect opinions from scientists and public health experts, along with regular women who have something to say about research that affects their health.

The Bay Area meeting starts today with a four-hour public comment period and goes through Friday.

"It's a really great honor to be the West Coast site for this," said Nancy Milliken, director of the UCSF National Center of Excellence in Women's Health. "It has attracted people from throughout the region and the rest of the country, and we have such a wonderful, savvy and passionate advocacy community out here. I'm delighted we're going to have their voices in the deliberations."

The NIH created an office devoted to women's health research in the early 1990s, after scientists and health care advocates went to Congress with complaints that women often weren't fairly represented in clinical trials. The prevailing belief at the time was the research that applied to men would also apply to women - which often isn't the case.

The Office of Research on Women's Health aimed to make sure funding from the NIH - the main source of federal money for medical research in the United States - would be directed to studies that helped women, too.

At the same time, NIH policymakers used the newly created office to draw attention to health issues that were particular to women, and not just in reproductive science. Once every decade, the NIH develops a 10-year plan for research based on input from scientists around the country.

This week's meeting in San Francisco will focus on women's health research as it relates to the environment, information technology, HIV/AIDS, global health and stem cell science.

A lot has changed in women's health research and clinical care since the previous 10-year plan was developed, said Linda Giudice, chair of the UCSF Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, and a member of the NIH women's health advisory committee. There's been a fundamental shift in how doctors and patients view hormone replacement therapy, for example, and AIDS has become a major threat to women's health worldwide, Giudice said.

The Bay Area was chosen as a meeting spot in part because of the wide variety of medical research taking place in the region, said NIH officials. In addition, the Bay Area has a thriving health advocacy community made up of women who aren't scientists but work on a grassroots level to promote research.

These women can't necessarily make it to Washington, D.C., to talk directly to the NIH. So the NIH is coming to them.

"What's important is that women have the chance to express their feelings," said Vivian Pinn, director of the Office of Research on Women's Health. "That sets the tone for the rest of us who are scientists and researchers and doctors and clinicians. Everyone learns a lot."

It's too late to sign up to participate in today's public-comment period, but the three-day conference is free to the public and anyone can attend meetings today, Thursday or Friday. There will be question-and-answer sessions with researchers and an opportunity for public comment during scientific discussions Thursday.


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Osteoporosis Management

Osteoporosis Overview

Osteoporosis is a health condition in which the thickness of the bones is reduced and they become more prone to fracture. The bone mineral density (BMD) is reduced significantly which disrupts the bone micro architecture and alters the number of non-collagenous proteins in the bone. Osteoporosis results in fragile, porous, and week bones. The components like protein, collagen, and calcium that make the bones and give them the strength are lessened and this causes osteoporosis. Osteoporosis can cause the bones to break, crack, or collapse even by a small injury. The common areas in which the serious fractures occur are spine, hips, and wrists. Women are more prone Osteoporosis especially when they have reached their menopause stage. The condition is called postmenopausal osteoporosis. Osteoporosis can occur in both men and women.
Common Symptoms of Osteoporosis

There are no particular symptoms of Osteoporosis apart from fractures in different skeleton bones. Sometimes this bone disease is not detected for years and patients are not aware of their condition until the problem is serious or there is a server painful fracture. Osteoporosis can be identified from the areas in which the fractures occur.

• Spine fractures that result in severe back pain and hunched-back can be Osteoporosis

• Minimal trauma fracture occurred in course of normal activity can be a sign of Osteoporosis

• Hip fractures caused due to falling or a trivial accident can be a symptom of Osteoporosis

Prevention and Treatment of Osteoporosis

Prevention is the treatment of osteoporosis as there is nothing that can completely rebuild the bones. Early detection can help to reduce the risk of fractures and taking adequate amount of calcium and vitamin can help to increase bone density and strength. Medications that can help to make the bones strong, such as alendronate (Fosamax), risedronate (Actonel), raloxifene (Evista), ibandronate (Boniva), calcitonin (Calcimar), and zoledronate (Reclast) can be helpful for osteoporosis patients.

Some of the preventive measures that an osteoporosis patient must take are:

• Take a protein and calcium rich balance diet and exercise regularly.

• Curtail alcohol intake and quit cigarette smoking.

• Intake of calcium supplements can help in building strong and healthy bones.

Diagnosis of Osteoporosis

Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA or DEXA) is the most common process that is used to diagnosis osteoporosis. In addition to this certain blood tests and X-rays are done to check the acuteness of the problem. All tests must be performed by highly experienced doctors, who have complete knowledge of the disease and are experts in the field.


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