Why Women’s Surgery Center?
Women’s Surgery Center physicians are expertly trained gynecologic surgeons who specialize in minimally invasive surgery. Each of our surgeons has completed a surgical fellowship in gynecologic specialties, including advanced laparoscopic surgery (also known as minimally invasive surgery), gynecologic oncology, and urogynecology. WSC is known nationally and internationally for its innovative surgical procedures and high success rates. The surgeons of WSC are medical faculty of George Washington University Medical Center and actively publish on topics ranging from oncology to advanced laparoscopic procedures. We perform more laparoscopic surgery than any other practice in the region.
WSC is NOT a group of doctors who CAN perform minimally invasive surgery, we are gynecologic surgeons who specialize in minimally invasive surgery.
Why Women’s Surgery Center and not your OB/GYN?
OB/GYNs are trained in the management of obstetrics and routine gynecologic care. Their main practice focus is the management of pregnancy, labor, and delivery. Only 20% of the average U.S. OB/GYN practice is dedicated to gynecologic care (80% is typically dedicated to obstetrics), and only about 5% is devoted to surgery. The average OB/GYN in the U.S. performs only one or two major surgeries per month (only about 24 per year). It is natural to trust your OB/GYN for obstetric care and routine gynecology such as pap smears, medical management of fibroids, and infections. However, gynecologic surgery is entirely different. Surgery requires constant practice with exposure to new techniques and high volumes to ensure continued comfort with the techniques. OB/GYNs cannot keep up with surgical innovations and do not have the surgical volume needed to gain confidence and proficiency in these innovative procedures. When patients are told they are not candidates for laparoscopic surgery, it often means that the physician giving that advice is not able to perform the required surgery laparoscopically. Patients should always feel comfortable asking the tough questions of their doctor before agreeing to have a surgical procedure:
- How many of these procedures do you do regularly?
- How often do your patients experience complications from the surgery?
- How often does a planned laparoscopic procedure end up in an open surgery?
WSC focuses completely on minimally invasive gynecologic surgery. The most successful surgical practices dedicate themselves to surgery in order to provide their patients with the best outcomes possible, that is just what we do. In order to prepare OB/GYNs for their important role as physicians, their residency programs focus on primary care, obstetrics, infertility, office gynecology and office gynecologic procedures, rather than on laparoscopy and oncology. When you need specialty treatment, like oncology or laparoscopic surgery, you need to see a medical expert.
What Can You Expect from Your Woman’s Surgery Center Surgeon?
When a woman is considering a surgeon to perform her procedure, we know this can be a difficult time, and we don’t try to replace the type of close relationship that you may have with your personal OB-GYN. In most cases, you will only see your WSC physician three times, including the pre-surgery, surgery and post-operative visits. As WSC is a very specialized surgical practice, we are here to provide complete and knowledgeable medical information to our patients regarding their options for treatment, which may include surgery. If surgery is decided upon, WSC provides the highest level of surgical expertise nationwide.
We know that our patients recognize that WSC is a busy surgical practice, and a busy surgical practice results in better outcomes from physicians who are doing more successful surgeries. We try to keep office wait times to a minimum, but we acknowledge that this is not always possible, as we want each patient to have the most accurate surgical care and a prompt diagnosis. You should feel confident that WSC will provide you with the best care possible as each patient is valued by our medical office team. Our patients can count on their WSC surgeon to provide expert care, superb results and minimal recovery times.
So What Should You Do?
Always get a second opinion for a surgical procedure, and if you are considering laparoscopic surgery, that opinion should come from a surgeon who is an expert in laparoscopy. The physicians at WSC perform more laparoscopic surgeries than any practice in the greater metropolitan DC area. In 2008, WSC performed nearly 1500 laparoscopic gynecologic surgeries, an average of 35 per week. WSC uses a highly successful technique, called retroperitoneal dissection or RPD, which allows almost any surgery to be performed laparoscopically. Our minimally invasive approach has some of the lowest complication rates in the published medical literature. It is important to note that getting a second opinion from WSC or choosing to have your surgery performed by a WSC surgeon does not mean you have terminated your relationship with your OB/GYN. While Women’s Surgery Center performs routine gynecologic care, we welcome you to return to your trusted OB/GYN for routine GYN and OB care as needed. Want more information about WSC, our doctors, our experience with your medical concerns, or to schedule an appointment, please call us at 1-888-SURGERY (787-4379) or call your local office.