Women's Health

Augusta University Health offers you a full range of women’s health services:

• Gynecologic Cancer Care: AU Health and Georgia Cancer Center collaborate to provide lifesaving diagnosis and treatments of gynecological cancers through advanced surgeries, chemotherapy, targeted radiation and more.
• Gynecology: Care of the reproductive organs of female patients, offering everything from routine gynecological exams to hormone replacement therapy. Our services also include birth control counseling, annual Well Woman Care and STD treatment. 
• Obstetrics: Are you pregnant or considering getting pregnant? Come see our obstetricians or certified nurse-midwives, We offer patients prenatal care services, labor and delivery, postnatal care, breastfeeding support and more. 
• Reproductive Medicine and Infertility: Our reproductive endocrinologists and other specialists treat all types of infertility. If you have not been able to get pregnant after a year of trying - or six months for women over the age of 35 - come see the fertility specialists at AU Health. 
• Urogynecology: Dealing with a pelvic floor disorder can not only be inconvenient, it can also be uncomfortable or even painful. Our urogynecologists treat all types of pelvic floor disorders including pelvic organ prolapse and urinary/fecal incontinence.

Other vital women's health services at AU Health

Augusta University Health provides additional services that are essential to a woman's overall health. This includes:

• Cardiovascular Care: Women may not realize how crucial it is to maintain their heart health, heart disease is the number one killer of women in the United States.
• Mammography: It's important to be aware of your breast health for breast cancer prevention. AU Health offers 3D digital mammography for early cancer detection.
• Menopause Care: Dealing with menopause and its symptoms can be physically and mentally challenging. We can help you get through this next stage of life.
• Osteoporosis Care:  AU Health has the only Osteoporosis Clinic in the area. We encourage you to contact us and come in for a bone health evaluation. 

Augusta University Woman's Health program encompasses the entire spectrum of specialized care, delivered by physicians who understand the important gender differences in health care and know that age is no longer just a number. We do this though:

• Teamwork: Our OB/GYNs 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).
• 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 disorders. These minimally invasive treatments offer less pain, blood loss and scarring and provide a faster recovery and return to usual activities.
• Research and 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.

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 ovaries.
• 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.

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:

• Nutritional Counseling: Our certified dietitians meet with you to discuss the importance of nutrition to your health. We can help you with,
  • preventing and treating diabetes during pregnancy
  • high blood pressure
  • high cholesterol
  • infertility
  • obesity
• Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy: We offer special therapies for treating pelvic floor disorders related to pregnancy and menopause.
• Support Groups: Patients have access to many different support groups through AU Health. We have support groups for navigating motherhood, breastfeeding or cancer.