Advances In Women's Health

Host: Michael Krychman, MD Bladder leakage is one of many health-related issues that our female patients deal with. There are newly available treatment options, including non-surgical options, to help remedy the problem. Host Dr. Michael Krychman welcomes Dr. Holly Thacker to decipher the pros and cons of the various options available. Dr. Holly L. Thacker, nationally known for her leadership in women’s health, is the founder of the Cleveland Clinic Women’s Health Fellowship and is currently Professor and Director of the Center for Specialized Women’s Health at Cleveland Clinic and Lerner College of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University. She is also author of two books: Women’s Health: Your Body, Your Hormones, Your Choices and Cleveland Clinic Guide to Menopause.

Host: Prathima Setty, MD Issues of vaginal health are commonly seen in post-menopausal women, breast cancer survivors and women who have had a hysterectomy. According to the US Census Bureau there are nearly 46M women between the ages of 50 and 80, and over 2.8M breast cancer survivors. Existing treatments for post-menopause vaginal health can be time intensive or messy, or contraindicated for health reasons. They also can have numerous side-effects and offer only marginal improvement -- according to a doctor associated with the study. Host Dr. Prathima Setty welcomes Dr. Mickey Karram, Director of Fellowship Program on Female Pelvic Medicine & Reconstructive Surgery at The Christ Hospital, Cincinnati, OH. Dr. Karram will share preliminary findings from a trail evaluating laser treatment on post-menopausal women and breast cancer survivors experiencing vaginal health issues. Supported by an Educational Grant from BD Diagnostics. ReachMD retains full editorial control of the content for this program.

Host: Prathima Setty, MD What are the benefits and harms of screening women for breast cancer? How often should we screen our patients? Are there technological advancements to help our patients live better and longer? Dr. Prathima Setty welcomes Dr. Russell P. Harris, Professor of Medicine and Adjunct Professor of Epidemiology at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC. Supported by an Educational Grant from BD Diagnostics. ReachMD retains full editorial control of the content for this program.

Host: Lauren Streicher, MD Guest: Michael Holick, PhD, MD It seems these days patients know more about the benefits of Vitamin D than their physicians. Doctors are soaking up the information and making sure their patients are taking the proper levels of Vitamin D. Dr. Michael Holick, professor of medicine, physiology and biophysics and director of the Bone Health Care Clinic and the Heliotherapy, Light, and Skin Research Center at Boston University Medical Center, joins host Dr. Lauren Streicher to discuss the proper dosage, risk factors, geographical factors and benefits of Vitamin D.

Guest: Susan Love, MD Host: Lauren Streicher, MD Dr. Susan Love, medical director and founder of the Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation, joins host Dr. Lauren Streicher to talk about the Love/Avon Army of Women initiative, which seeks to recruit one million women of all ages and backgrounds to participate in breast cancer research. Dr. Love explains how doctors can apply to be involved in the research process and how your patients can become part of the army of women.

Host: Lauren Streicher, MD Guest: Jan Shifren, MD Most research reveals 30 to 40 percent of women in the United States say they have sexual issues. A recent study examined how many women consider their sex issues to be a problem. With host Dr. Lauren Streicher, Dr. Jan Shifren, an associate professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive biology at Harvard Medical School, looks at the findings of her research. The two review the impetus for the study, questions that were asked from 30,000 participants, and what has been gleaned from the results. The two also touch on whether testosterone and Viagra should be prescribed to help women who are distressed by their sexual issues.

Guest: Eugene Lipov, MD Host: Lauren Streicher, MD Women who have hot flashes may experience episodes up to 80 times a week. Estrogen is the most common treatment, but oftentimes it's just not enough. Dr. Eugene Lipov, an anesthesiologist and medical director of Northwest Hospital's Advanced Pain Center in Arlington Heights, Illinois, discusses with host Dr. Lauren Streicher his pioneering use of the stellate ganglion block to alleviate hot flashes for women. The two cover the procedure for administering the block, the success rate and complications, as well has how Dr. Lipov came up with the concept. Dr. Lipov also talks about how the block aids in better sleep patterns for post menopausal women.

Guest: Cassing Hammond, MD Host: Lisa Mazzullo, MD What's it like to not be able to get a mammogram because the machine does not accommodate a wheelchair? What's it like to be a paraplegic and want to have a baby? These are just two of the growing number of daily problems facing the more than 25 million women with disabilities in the United States. Dr. Cassing Hammond, director of family planning and contraception at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University and director of ob/gyn services at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, discusses with host Dr. Lisa Mazzullo the challenge of contraception choices, welcoming these patients to the typical doctor's office, as well as the cutting-edge clinic designed especially for this group of women at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago.

Guest: Mishka Terplan, MD Host: Lisa Mazzullo, MD Researchers have no way to determine how significant the problem of substance abuse and pregnancy really is. Very few women will be open and honest when it comes to answering questions about elicit drug use. So how do doctors get their patients the proper help? Dr. Mishka Terplan, an associate professor at the University of Chicago, looks at the issues of universal drug screening for all pregnant women, confidentiality, inpatient and outpatient drug rehabilitation programs and the stigma of being a substance abuser, with host Dr. Lisa Mazzullo.

Guest: Marilyn Keefe Host: Lisa Mazzullo, MD A new president in the White House will change the climate of reproductive health in this country. Where did we stand under the Bush administration, and how will an Obama administration view access to birth control, emergency contraception, preventive health programs for women and comprehensive sex education programs? Marilyn Keefe, director of reproductive health programs for the National Partnership for Women & Families in Washington, DC, joins host Dr. Lisa Mazzullo to discuss these questions and how the Supreme Court will look at these issues over the next four years.

Guest: Enrique Hernandez, MD Host: Lisa Mazzullo, MD Cervical cancer is the second leading cause of death in women around the world. Many of these deaths can be avoided if women with mild cervical dysplasia are treated early. In the last few years, doctors have clarified the cytology and pathology for women in order to treat the problem effectively, while not over-treating the issue. Dr. Enrique Hernandez, chairman of the department of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia, joins host Dr. Lisa Mazzullo to talk about the treatment plan for women with mild cervical dysplasia as well as recommendations for treating the disease in the future.

Guest: Marianne Legato, MD Host: Lauren Streicher, MD Women account for 85 percent of the people in the industrialized world who have reached 100 years of age. What accounts for the longer lifespan of women? Dr. Marianne Legato, founder of the Partnership for Gender-Specific Medicine at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, talks with host Dr. Lauren Streicher about the significance of gender on life span. They discuss the roles that biology, lifestyle, and social factors play in longevity, and probe whether social changes in the industrialized world may be closing the gap.    

Guest: Patrick Lowe, MD Host: Lauren Streicher, MD Robotic surgery for gynecology has only been approved by the FDA since 2005. This method is growing popularity among surgeons due to its success rate in treating endometrial cancer and cervical cancer. Dr. Patrick Lowe, director of the Gynecological Robotics and Minimally Invasive Surgery program at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, talks with host Dr. Lauren Streicher about the benefits of robotics and the types of surgery cases that benefit from this cutting edge technology.

Host: Lauren Streicher, MD Guest: Laura Berman, PhD How can doctors make their female patients more comfortable talking about sexual dysfunction in the clinical setting? It could be as easy as adding a question to patient intake forms or posting a sign in the waiting room. Host Dr. Lauren Streicher and guest Dr. Laura Berman, an assistant clinical professor of ob/gyn and psychiatry at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, talk candidly about female sexual dysfunction issues and treatment options.

Guest: Kim Lebowitz Host: Lauren Streicher, MD Women are twice as likely as men to experience depression, and that statistic holds true for female cardiac patients. Linking heart disease and depression, the American Heart Association recently recommended that all cardiac patients be screened for depression.  Dr. Kim Lebowitz, director and founder of the Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, discusses with host Dr. Lauren Streicher the new field of cardiac psychology and how doctors can screen their cardiac patients for the signs and symptoms of depression.

Guest: Lorie Chaiten, JD Host: Lauren Streicher, MD For the past 25 years, the U.S. government has funded abstinence-only sex education in public schools.  Still, 47 percent of high school students report having had sexual intercourse and 70 percent are sexually active by age 19.  Lorie Chaiten, director of the Reproductive Rights Project for the Roger Baldwin Foundation of the ACLU of Illinois, talks with host Dr. Lauren Streicher about the implications for young people's sexual health when they are denied access to complete and accurate science-based information.

Host: Lisa Mazzullo, MD Guest: Sharmila Makhija, MD Since the Gardasil vaccination has only been administered to young girls and teens since 2006, there are still questions concerning who should get the vaccine and under what circumstances., and the effectiveness of the vaccine if not taken according to suggested protocol. Dr. Sharmila Makhija, director and associate professor of gynecologic oncology at the University of Alabama, tackles with host Dr. Lisa Mazzullo who should receive the vaccine. They also discuss whether or not it's beneficial for patients to be typed and tested for HPV before receiving the vaccinations, and what happens if a patient becomes pregnant while receiving the vaccine.

Guest: James M Nicholson, MD,MSCE Host: Lisa Mazzullo, MD Over the last decade the rate of cesarean sections has increased from 22 percent to as much as 30 percent in some parts of the country. Cesarean risk increases with potential placental insufficiency and concerns about cephalo pelvic disproportion. How does AMOR-IPAT (active management of risk in pregnancy at term), a preventive induction technique, limit cesarean risk?  Dr. James M. Nicholson, assistant professor in family practice and community medicine at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, talks with host Dr. Lisa Mazzullo about this technique designed to prevent cesarean deliveries.

Guest: Wendie Berg, MD, PhD Host: Lisa Mazzullo, MD The number of women affected by breast cancer every year is staggering: almost 180,000 new cases and upwards of 40,000 deaths. Researchers are focused on finding novel ways to detect a malignancy before it spreads-to the lymph nodes and beyond. Dr. Wendie Berg, a breast imaging radiologist associated with the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, talks with host Dr. Lisa Mazzullo about her latest work: studying the use of ultrasound, in conjunction with mammography, to detect breast cancer in high-risk women.

Guest: Elizabeth Kavaler, MD Host: Lisa Mazzullo, MD A large number of women suffer from pelvic organ prolapse and incontinence in the United States, many of these women are postmenopausal.  Statistics show that one in nine women will undergo surgery for this issue. Dr. Elizabeth Kavaler a urologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York joins host Dr. Lisa Mazzullo to discuss the best  ways to treat and prevent the issue of pelvic relaxation.