Our Approach
We know you have more responsibilities and goals for your life than ever before. And
when it comes to your health, you have a lot to consider, from family planning to
feeling your best.
At Augusta University Women’s Health, we take great pride in helping you leverage
your well-being to get everything you want out of life. We offer a wide range of care
options for all conditions, ages and stages, from adolescence and on.
Why Choose Us
Women’s health matters are important and personal, so you deserve an expert team you
can trust with your health and life. As Augusta’s River Region’s only academic women’s
health program, we offer the most advanced treatments using the latest technology.
We offer:
- Specialized care: Our team of obstetrician-gynecologists (OBGYNs) and women’s health specialists cover
a wide range of obstetric, or pregnancy, and gynecologic care, delivering you the
expert care you need. We offer specialized care for high-risk pregnancy, gynecologic
cancer, reproductive endocrinology and infertility, and pelvic floor disorders.
- Expertise: Our fertility specialists and geneticists have earned national recognition in diagnosing
and treating infertility and genetic disorders. We also have three of Augusta’s River
Region’s four menopause experts who are credentialed by the North American Menopause
Society.
- Board-certified urogynecologists: We offer Augusta’s River Region’s only board-certified urogynecologists. They provide
specialized care for pelvic floor disorders, including pelvic organ prolapse and urinary
and fecal incontinence.
- Latest diagnostic testing: We use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for characterizing large uterine fibroids
and uterine cancer. MRI shows in detail the size and location of fibroids and allows
doctors to determine types of tumors and recommend appropriate treatment options.
- Minimally invasive treatments: We are the only health center in Augusta’s River Region that offers Acessa, a minimally
invasive treatment for uterine fibroids. We also offer robotic surgery using the da
Vinci Surgical System for treating gynecologic conditions, gynecologic cancer and
pelvic floor These minimally invasive treatments offer less pain, blood loss and scarring
and provide a faster recovery and return to usual activities.
- Teamwork: Our OBGYNs and women’s health specialists work hand-in-hand on an ongoing basis to
diagnose and treat complex conditions from all angles. Our specialists from gynecologic
cancer, infertility and reproductive endocrinology, and urogynecology participate
in weekly Tumor Board meetings, where they discuss complicated cases and plan treatment.
- Collaboration: Our doctors partner with other Augusta University Health specialists across multiple
fields of medicine. They work with specialists from anesthesia, general surgery, interventional
radiology, radiology, urology and the neonatal intensive care unit at the adjoining
Children’s Hospital of Georgia (CHOG).
- Convenient care: We offer same- or next-day care and procedures at our Grovetown location, including
loop electrical excision procedure (LEEP) for abnormal, precancerous cells on the
cervix and uterine ablations for heavy vaginal bleeding. We also offer day surgery
at our Columbia County Surgery Center.
- Clinical Trials: We are constantly working to expand our nonsurgical treatment options. We are also
always looking for better ways to deliver high-risk pregnancy care to all women and
to help more moms and babies successfully breastfeed.
Conditions We Treat
We treat all types of women’s health conditions, including gynecologic conditions,
pregnancy, gynecologic cancers, infertility and pelvic floor disorders. Our OBGYNs
and women’s health specialists are trained to diagnose and treat each condition within
their specific field of gynecology. They are dedicated to getting to the root of any
symptoms you may be experiencing to help you live your life to the fullest.
Gynecologic conditions
We understand that dealing with a gynecologic condition and its symptoms can feel
painful and worrisome. We treat all types of gynecologic conditions:
- Cervical dysplasia, or abnormal, precancerous cells on the cervix
- Menstrual disorders, such as periods that are absent, painful, long and heavy, too frequent or infrequent,
as well as premenstrual syndrome (PMS) or premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)
- Ovarian cysts, or fluid-filled sacs in or on one or both ovaries, the part of the female reproductive
system that produces eggs during childbearing years
- Pelvic pain, which can originate in the female reproductive organs, urinary or digestive tract,
or bones and tissue
- Sex hormone disorders, such as androgen excess, hirsutism, menopause, perimenopause and polycystic ovary
syndrome (PCOS)
- Sexual dysfunction, including painful sex, loss of interest and being unable to achieve orgasm
- Teen health concerns, such as abnormal menstrual disorders, acne, body image, eating disorders, sexually
transmitted infections, and substance abuse
- Uterine conditions, such as adenomyosis, endometrial hyperplasia, endometrial polyps, endometriosis
and uterine fibroids
- Vaginal infections, such as bacterial vaginosis, cervicitis, pelvic inflammatory disease, sexually transmitted
infections, urinary tract infection and vaginal yeast infection
Pregnancy
Achieving and experiencing pregnancy can lead to emotions ranging from joy to grief.
We treat all types of pregnancy conditions, including:
- Low-risk pregnancy, or when neither the mom nor baby is experiencing any known health conditions that
could complicate pregnancy
- High-risk pregnancy, or when the mom or baby experience a health condition that could complicate pregnancy
and lead to problems
- Ectopic pregnancy, or a tubal pregnancy, when an embryo implants in the fallopian tube, ovary or cervix
instead of the uterus
- Miscarriage, or when an embryo or unborn baby dies before 20 weeks of pregnancy
- Stillbirth, or when an unborn baby dies after 20 weeks of pregnancy
Gynecologic cancers
Receiving a gynecologic cancer diagnosis may cause you to feel concern not only for
your life but also your future. We treat all types of gynecologic cancers, including:
- Cervical cancer, or cancer of the cervix, the canal that connects the vagina and uterus
- Ovarian cancer, or cancer in one or both ovaries, the glands that produce eggs during childbearing
years and hormones, including estrogen, progesterone and testosterone
- Uterine cancer, or cancer of the uterus, or womb, an organ in the female reproductive system where
an unborn baby develops and grows
- Vaginal cancer, or cancer of the vagina, the canal that leads to the uterus
- Vulvar cancer, or cancer of the vulva, the outer female genitalia, which includes the clitoris,
vaginal lips and vaginal opening
Infertility
Experiencing infertility, or being unable to get pregnant after a year of trying or
six months for women age 35 and older can feel frustrating and heartbreaking. We treat
all types of infertility, including:
- Female-factor infertility, or infertility resulting from an ovulation disorder, damage to one or both fallopian
tubes, endometriosis or issues with the uterus or cervix
- Male-factor infertility, or infertility resulting from low sperm count, abnormally shaped sperm, abnormal
movement of sperm and blockages that prevent sperm from exiting the body
- Unexplained infertility, or infertility resulting from an unknown cause
Pelvic floor disorders
Dealing with a pelvic floor disorder can feel inconvenient and even painful. We treat
all types of pelvic floor disorders, including:
- Urinary incontinence, which involves losing bladder control, ranging from leaking urine to experiencing
sudden urges to involuntarily urinate
- Fecal incontinence and constipation, which involves losing bowel control, ranging from leaking stool to experiencing
sudden urges to involuntarily having a bowel movement
- Pelvic organ prolapse and discomfort, when the bladder, uterus or cervix, rectum, intestines or urethra drop into or out
of the vagina, resulting from the muscles and tissues that support these organs becoming
weakened or damaged
Diagnostic Tests and Procedures
When you’re experiencing symptoms of women’s health conditions, it’s important to
get to the root of the problem. Your health and quality of life depend on it. We offer
a full range of diagnostic tests to help your doctor determine which treatments may
be right for you.
Pelvic Exams
Whether you visit your doctor for an annual checkup or to address a concern, they
will perform a pelvic exam. During the exam, they will manually check your reproductive
organs, which include the vulva, vagina, cervix, uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries.
Imaging Tests
To determine the cause of any symptoms you may be experiencing, your doctor may need
to visualize your reproductive organs. We offer a full range of imaging tests:
- Ultrasound uses soundwaves to produce images of the reproductive organs using either abdominal
or transvaginal, meaning “through the vagina,” equipment.
- Hysterosalpingogram (HSG) involves injecting contrast dye into your uterus with a thin, flexible tube and performing
an X-ray to visualize the inside of your uterus and fallopian tubes.
- Saline ultrasound, also called saline infusion sonohysterography (SIS or SHG), involves injecting saline
into your uterus with a thin, flexible tube and performing an ultrasound to visualize
the inside of your uterus.
- Computed tomography (CT) uses a small amount of radiation, and sometimes injected contrast dye, to produce
multiple X-ray images of the ovarie
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) uses a magnetic field and radiofrequency waves to produce detailed images of your
uterus to look for endometriosis and pelvic masses, such as uterine fibroids.
Diagnostic Procedures
Diagnostic procedures allow your doctor to check for abnormal cells or determine the
cause of abnormal uterine bleeding. Locating and removing abnormal cells can help
prevent them from developing into cancer or treat it early. We offer a full range
of diagnostic procedures:
- Pap smear, or Pap test, allows your doctor to screen for cervical cancer by collecting a sample
of cells from your cervix. Your doctor will then send the sample to the laboratory
for testing to determine whether or not the cells are abnormal. This test is usually
part of your annual checkup.
- Diagnostic hysteroscopy allows your doctor to examine your cervix and the inside of your uterus to diagnose
problems in your uterus. Your doctor performs hysteroscopy by inserting a hysteroscope,
a thin tube with a video camera and light on the end, into the vagina.
- Colposcopy allows your doctor to examine your vulva, vagina and cervix to look for abnormal cells
using a colposcope, an instrument with a light and magnifying glass. If your doctor
locates abnormal cells during the procedure, they may perform a biopsy.
- Biopsy, which includes cervical biopsy and endometrial biopsy, allows your doctor to collect
tissue from the cervix or the lining of your uterus, called the endometrium. Your
doctor will then send the tissue sample to the laboratory for testing to determine
whether or not the cells are cancerous.
- Loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) allows your doctor to remove cervical dysplasia using a small electrical wire loop.
Your doctor will then send the tissue sample to the laboratory for testing to determine
whether or not the cells are cancerous.
Women's Health Treatments
Your health plays an important role in making your goals a reality. Our OBGYNs and
women’s health specialists partner with you to understand your wishes for your health
and life so they can tailor your care plan specifically to you.
We provide a full range of women’s health treatments using the latest technology.
We offer:
- Gynecologic treatments, such as birth control, hormone replacement therapy and other medications
- Pregnancy care, such as prenatal care and counseling before and during pregnancy, prenatal visits,
labor and delivery, and postpartum care
- Gynecologic cancer treatments, such as surgery, chemotherapy and radiation
- Infertility treatments, such as medications and surgery to treat female- and male-factor infertility, fertility
drugs to stimulate the release of one or multiple eggs in women, intrauterine insemination,
in vitro fertilization (IVF) and surgery for conditions that may be causing infertility
- Pelvic floor disorder treatments, such as exercises, medications and medical devices to treat incontinence and minimally
invasive surgical procedures to treat pelvic organ prolapse
Support services
Your doctor may recommend certain support services to complement their care plan so
you can experience the best possible outcome. To address your whole body’s health,
we offer:
- Nutrition counseling through our certified dietitians to prevent and treat diabetes during pregnancy,
high blood pressure, hyperlipidemia, infertility and obesity
- Pelvic floor physical therapy for pelvic floor disorders and menopause
- Support groups to help those who are navigating motherhood, breastfeeding and cancer
Our OBGYNs and Women’s Health Specialists
While delivering the latest care options available today, our OBGYNs and women’s health
specialists are working to discover the tests and treatments of tomorrow. Our dedication
to translating research to medical breakthroughs gives you access to lifechanging
tests and treatments first. And as national thought leaders in women’s health care,
we share our medical breakthroughs with our colleagues across the country.
Our OBGYNs and women’s health specialists are also actively involved in teaching the
next generation of doctors. This role guarantees that they are working with the most
up to date knowledge, advanced techniques and latest technology.
All of our doctors are board-certified in gynecology, and our specialists are fellowship
trained in their respective fields of gynecology. Fellowships provide the highest
level of training in a specialized field of medicine.
Our team of OBGYNs and women’s health specialists includes:
- Geneticists, specialists who study, diagnose and manage genetic disorders
- Gynecologic oncologists, or gynecologic cancer doctors, specialists who diagnose and treat cancer of the
reproductive system
- Maternal-fetal medicine specialists, specialists who diagnose and treat high-risk pregnancy
- Reproductive endocrinologists, or fertility specialists, doctors who specialize in diagnosing and treating infertility
and its causes
- Urogynecologists, specialists who diagnose and treat pelvic floor disorders
- Advanced practice providers
- Certified nurse-midwives, licensed healthcare professionals who specialize in women’s reproductive health
and childbirth and perform annual exams, provide counseling and write prescriptions