Obstetrics & Gynecology

It’s a big decision when a couple decides to have a baby. Before getting pregnant, doctors have a few suggestions for women to make sure their health is in good shape. Dr. Kevin Fleischman, an OB/GYN on the medical staff of Lee Health, says keeping your health on track is important, especially before pregnancy. “Obesity is a big problem. There’s an increase of obese people and people with a higher BMI are now getting pregnant and these are high risk pregnancies.” He advises women to consider their health first before getting pregnant. “We do like women to be as healthy as they can at the beginning of pregnancy, so for instance if someone is overweight we encourage them to exercise and lose weight before they conceive, that way they’ll have a much healthier pregnancy.” Maintaining a healthy weight before pregnancy will prevent problems during pregnancy like high blood pressure, gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and hypertension. It will also lower the mother’s risk for a C-section. “Gestational diabetes can cause big babies, and the scariest things we deal with is called shoulder dystocia which means the head comes out but the shoulders get stuck because the stomach and the shoulders are out of proportion larger than the head. And that can cause a lot of problems for the baby so we like very good blood sugar control throughout the pregnancy,” said Dr. Fleischman. Before getting pregnant, he recommends women develop healthy eating habits and regular physical activity. Also, monitor your blood pressure and cholesterol. “Sometimes it just takes exercising and losing a few pounds and sometimes it’s three or four percent of their body weight,” said Dr. Fleischman. Having a healthy body weight before pregnancy can help mothers have a healthy pregnancy and delivery.

What was once the number one killer of women is now preventable through a Pap smear screening. “It is the most successful screening test for any cancer,” said Dr. Fadi Abu Shahin, a gynecologic oncologist on the medical staff of Lee Health. Pap smear screenings can help detect precancerous changes early, enabling treatment before they become cancer. “It’s a simple test, a relatively cheap test, easy and it doesn’t pose risks to the patient,” said Dr. Abu Shahin. The screening can find precancerous changes five to 15 years before the cancer develops. In addition to that, doctors are now able to help patients prevent the disease by giving them an HPV vaccine. “We have now developed vaccines against some of the most common types of high-risk HPV. Giving those vaccines develops an immune reaction in our body that allows us to fight the virus,” he said. 99 percent of cervical cancers are caused by a strand of the HPV virus. The vaccine covers nine different types of HPV virus. “Early stages of cervical cancer, a lot of women don’t have any symptoms. But at some point, the most common symptom patients present with is abnormal bleeding,” said Dr. Abu Shahin. The treatment of cervical cancer depends on when it’s caught. “Early stages of cervical cancer are treated surgically with a hysterectomy. More advanced stages of cervical cancer are treated with radiation and chemotherapy,” he said. Doctors recommend women get an annual Pap smear screening and get the HPV vaccine between the ages of 9 and 26 all to help lower the risk of cervical cancer.