Gynecologic Issues, Services and Procedures in Decorah

The OB-GYN team cares for women in all stages of life, from adolescence to pregnancy to menopause and beyond. The team provides surgical and nonsurgical care for each patient's health needs, managing these medical issues and procedures:

Obstetrics services:

• Cesarean section delivery
• External cephalic version, in which the healthcare provider will apply pressure to your abdomen and physically manipulate your baby to a headfirst position.
• Intrauterine insemination
• Hysterosalpingogram, which is used to detect causes of infertility or repeated pregnancy loss. A special fluid is placed in the uterus and fallopian tubes, and an X-ray is used to evaluate shape, size and any other abnormalities.
• High-risk and low-risk prenatal care.
• Vaginal birth after a C-section (also known as a VBAC).
• Vaginal delivery, where a baby is delivered through the vaginal canal.

Gynecological medical issues:

• Abnormal Pap smear
• Abnormal or heavy uterine bleeding
• Cancer
• Endometriosis
• Heavy menstrual bleeding
• Hot flashes
• Infertility
• Menopause
• Ovarian cysts
• Pain during intercourse (dyspareunia)
• Pain during periods (dysmenorrhea)
• Pelvic organ prolapse
• Pelvic pain
• Postmenopausal bleeding
• Premenstrual syndrome (also known as PMS)
• Sexually transmitted infections
• Urinary incontinence
• Uterine fibroids
• Vaginitis
• Vulvodynia

Gynecological services and procedures:

• Cold knife conization, which involves the removal of cervical tissue to screen for precancerous or cancerous cells.
• Colposcopy
• Contraceptive counseling
• Cryotherapy, which uses a cold therapy to destroy unhealthy cells in the cervix.
• Endometrial ablation
• Endometrial biopsy, which is a simple procedure usually performed in the office setting that is used to rule out a variety of conditions. A thin suction tube is used to obtain a small sample of tissue on the inside of the uterus. You may experience mild to moderate discomfort during this procedure, which lasts approximately one minute.
• Gynecological preventive exams
• Hormone replacement therapy
• Hysterectomy, including laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy (minimally invasive removal of the uterus but not the cervix through several small abdominal incisions), abdominal hysterectomy, total laparoscopic hysterectomy (minimally invasive removal of the uterus through several small abdominal incisions), and vaginal hysterectomy.
• Hysterosalpingogram, also known as HSG.
• InterStim Therapy, which is a procedure to treat symptoms of urinary urgency and frequency and some types of leakage of urine and urinary retention when other options, like lifestyle modifications and medications, are not tolerated or not effective. A small device is implanted in the upper buttock along with a wire that is near the third sacral nerve. This wire sends signals to the nerve to help regulate the bladder.
• IUD placement.
• Laparoscopy, which is a minimally invasive procedure that allows surgeons to look inside the abdomen to diagnose things like endometriosis and ovarian cysts; investigate infertility, pelvic pain and masses; or assist in removal of the uterus or ovaries.
• Loop electrosurgical excision procedure, also known as LEEP, which is a procedure where a portion of the cervix is cut away to remove abnormal cells. This procedure is typically performed in the office setting and only takes a few minutes. A numbing medication is injected in the cervix for pain relief.
• Pap smear
• Pessary management
• Sling procedure for stress urinary incontinence.
• Sterilization
• Ultrasound, which is a powerful noninvasive tool that allows your healthcare provider to "see inside" the pelvis. It is used in pregnant patients to determine the health and development of a pregnancy. In patients who are not pregnant, it allows your healthcare provider to view the structure and movement of pelvic organs, including bladder, uterus, ovaries, cervix and fallopian tubes, as well as blood flow. It may be used to determine the cause of pelvic pain, heavy or irregular bleeding, painful periods, and many other conditions. Ultrasounds may be performed abdominally or vaginally. Come to your ultrasound appointment with a full bladder to improve the quality of information obtained by your provider. Urodynamic testing is used to evaluate problems you may be having with storage or elimination of urine.
• Vulvar biopsy

Talk with your healthcare provider to determine if your needed service or care for your medical issue is available near you. If not, your provider will refer you to a location that does.