With life-changing advancements every day, it’s an exciting—albeit busy—time to be alive. Keeping up with the latest in healthcare can be difficult, even for the experts. So we scanned the local medical scene, looking for notable news at area hospitals. The result: an overview of new research, treatments, and resources that every woman should know.
Fighting Zika: This summer, the National Institutes of Health chose Saint Louis University’s Center for Vaccine Development to conduct clinical trials for a vaccine to prevent Zika. (In 2013, the NIH selected SLU as one of nine U.S. institutions to test vaccines.) Washington University is also racing to find a remedy, developing and testing antibodies to fight the disease. For now, experts suggest wearing long sleeves and insect repellent.
3-D breast biopsies: SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital recently became the nation’s first medical center to offer the Affirm prone biopsy system, which allows patients to undergo 3-D breast biopsies in a prone position. Specialists can biopsy certain abnormalities that previously required surgery and are able to visualize more tissue. For patients, the system also means less time in the hospital.
Talking Tech: Dr. Matthew Powell, a gynecologic oncologist and surgeon at Wash. U., is using robotics to perform high-tech procedures for cancer patients. Young women with cervical cancer are referred from all over the Midwest to Wash. U. for radical trachelectomy, a pelvic surgery that helps maintain fertility. For patients with cervical and endometrial cancer, Powell uses a special camera to detect sentinel lymph nodes. And while conducting radical hysterectomies for women with cervical cancer, Powell uses robotics to spare small nerves, leading to faster recovery of bladder function and less long-term bladder dysfunction.
Cancer Screening: Missouri Baptist Medical Center is going the extra mile—literally—to encourage cancer screenings. Dr. Al Elbendary, a gynecologic oncologist, raises awareness for gynecologic cancer through a round-trip motorcycle ride from St. Louis to Key West; the Teal on Wheels fundraiser began in September 2013, during Gynecologic Oncology Awareness Month. The medical center also offers genetic counseling for breast cancer risk assessment. And for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, St. Anthony’s Medical Center will be sharing prevention and detection info at South County Center on October 12, while the new PALM Health is partnering with Siteman Cancer Center to provide members with screenings and vital info.
Offering Alternatives: Using the Sonata System, a new technology in which sonography is used to locate fibroids and radio frequency is used to treat them, Dr. David Levine, a gynecologist with Mercy Clinic Minimally Invasive Gynecology, has been leading clinical trials. The goal is to help women with fibroids who want an alternative to traditional treatments such as hysterectomy and hormone therapy. Dr. Gavin Puthoff, who recently opened Mercy Clinic Fertility Services, is offering another alternative, this one for couples with fertility concerns. He’s among fewer than 20 OB/GYNs across the U.S. to complete a fellowship in NaProTechnology, which uses biomarkers to addresses fertility naturally.
Meeting Midwives: Area hospitals are beginning to embrace the profession of midwifery in a new way, offering more options for women seeking natural childbirth. Certified nurse midwives manage the Mercy Birthing Center at Mercy Hospital St. Louis, which includes four birthing suites, complete with large tubs for labor. And at Missouri Baptist Medical Center and SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital, midwives work alongside obstetricians to provide extra support, a partnership that can be crucial during high-risk births.
Making Music: At age 89, Katja Georgieff plays the piano every day and isn’t slowing down—despite having heart valve replacement surgery, performed by Dr. Keith Mankowitz and Dr. Jeremy Leidenfrost at St. Luke’s Hospital last October. The Music at Maryville concert series’ artistic director, Georgieff was home days after the procedure and soon making arrangements for the March concert—in which she performed.
A Look at Lipedema: A chronic condition affecting a reported 11 percent of women worldwide, lipedema often goes undiagnosed. The condition causes fat cells in the arms and legs to grow, leading to a nodular, folded, or column-like appearance. Lipedema is largely resistant to diet and exercise, but there’s hope in the form of a special kind of liposuction offered by Dr. Donald Buck, a Wash. U. plastic surgeon at Christian Hospital. Patients travel from all over the country to the hospital, one of the few in the U.S. with a lipedema program.
Mom Blog: Years ago, St. Louis Children’s Hospital started a blog called MomDocs, on which pediatricians who are themselves mothers can give advice. Today, about a half-dozen physicians and psychologists write for more than 200,000 readers each month. They share helpful anecdotes, taking a relatable approach to conveying important medical info.
