CNN (3/27, Lamotte) reports that research on “more than 1,000 postmenopausal women, ages 50 to 80, found that those who were currently taking hormones had significantly lower levels of tummy fat than women who had never used them.” The findings were published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.

MedPage Today (3/27, Minerd) reports that “the mean percentage of body fat in women undergoing” hormone replacement “therapy was 34.6%, compared with 36.2% for women who had therapy in the past and 35.9% for women who never had hormone therapy.” The study indicated that “mean visceral fat mass, measured as the fat deep in the abdomen around the internal organs, not subcutaneous abdominal fat, was 0.42 kg for women undergoing therapy, compared with 0.48 kg both for women with past therapy and those who never received it.” Meanwhile, “the mean body-mass index (BMI) was 24.9 for current users of menopausal hormone therapy, versus 25.6 for past users and 25.8 for never users.”

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Dr. Thomas earned her medical degree from the University of Texas at San Antonio and then served a residency in OB/GYN at the MD Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas in Houston. She then completed her Fellowship at the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles.

After teaching for a decade at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine, she left to devote more time to research, charitable work and running her private practice. She is currently leading clinical trials for incontinence treatments.

What is the difference between a urologist and a urogynecologist?

A urologist is a doctor who specializes in treating disorders of the urogenital system, which means they treat problems affecting the urinary tract and the reproductive organs. They thus treat problems affecting organs like the kidneys, bladder, urethra, testicles or vagina. A urologist may earn board certification from the American Board of Urology. Unlike urogynecologists, who treat only women, urologists may treat both sexes, although some do specialize in disorders that affect only one sex.

Urogynecology is considered a subspecialty of obstetrics/gynecology. Thus, a urogynecologist’s early training will be similar to that of a gynecologist: They serve a residency in OB/GYN that lasts four years and earn board certification from the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Since a urogynecologist specializes in treating disorders of the pelvic floor, they will need to undertake a fellowship devoted pelvic floor disorders. That training takes two or three years.

Urogynecologists treat problems like prolapse of the uterus or bladder, certain types of incontinence, and severe constipation. They don’t treat cancer or kidney stones, however.

Both urologists and urogynecologists do perform surgery.

What is the pelvic floor?

The pelvic floor is the layer of muscles that runs across the bottom of the pelvis and supports the pelvic organs. They include the sphincter muscles that control the bladder and bowel. Weakened pelvic floor muscles can lead to incontinence and other problems. Such weakness can be caused by the following factors:

• Age
• Obesity
• Chronic constipation
• Pregnancy and childbirth
• Chronic coughing
• High impact exercises
• Heavy lifting

What is prolapse of the uterus?

Prolapse of the uterus or uterine prolapse is a condition in which the uterus protrudes of slides down into the vagina. It is caused by weakened and distended muscles and ligaments within the pelvic floor. In the early stages, uterine prolapse causes no symptoms. As the condition worsens, the patient may experience such symptoms as:

• Painful intercourse
• Problems urinating
• Sensation of heaviness in the pelvic floor
• Constipation
• Discharge from the vagina

If you are in the Thousand Oaks area and experiencing gynecological issues, you may need more treatment than a general urologist can provide. Instead, you can visit our trusted urogynecologist at the office of Dr. Sherry Thomas in Agoura Hills. Contact us today to schedule your first appointment.

The post Why See Dr. Sherry Thomas Over a General Urologist in Thousand Oaks? appeared first on Dr. Sherry Thomas.

What is a urogynecologist?

A urogynecologist is a reconstructive surgeon who specializes in treating disorders involving the pelvic region. Their patients are women with pelvic floor disorders or conditions involving the organs, muscles or connective tissues in the pelvic area.

They, therefore, treat various types of incontinence, severe constipation, and prolapse of the bladder or uterus. They do not, however, treat any cancer. Nor do they treat kidney stones or deformed kidneys.

Urogynecology is considered a subspecialty of obstetrics and gynecology. A urogynecologist has usually finished their OB/GYN residency, which takes four years, and then followed it up with a fellowship. During the fellowship, which lasts two or three years, the doctor will learn to evaluate and treat pelvic floor disorders.

As of 2012, urogynecologists can become board certified, which means they have taken and passed standardized tests administered by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. A board certified urogynecologist’s title will be followed by FPMRS, which stands for Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery.

A primary care physician or OB/GYN is likely to recommend a urogynecologist in cases of pelvic organ prolapse, certain types of vaginal surgery, problems emptying the bladder or bowels, and incontinence that isn’t responding to medications.

What is a urologist?

A urologist specializes in treating disorders of the urogenital system which covers the male and female urinary tract systems and male reproductive organs Thus urologists may treat disorders involving organs like the bladder, kidneys, testicles, and urethra. He may embark on fellowships that specialize in such fields as reconstruction of the urethra and “female” urology after completing a residency that takes five or six years.

During their residency, the urologist may spend the first 12 months learning general surgical techniques. He then spends three years learning clinical urology. The last year of the residency is spent learning techniques relevant to the urologist’s chosen field. Some of these fields can overlap with the specialties of the urogynecologist. Some urologists may also undertake Masters or Ph.D. programs to become instructors.

While urogynecologists treat only women, urologists can treat both men and women. Some urologists do specialize in treating only one sex, however. Others may concentrate on a given medical problem, like kidney transplants or erectile dysfunction.

Contact Us

Contact the office of Dr. Sherry Thomas today for further information or to schedule your appointment.

The post Urologist Vs Urogynecologist: What are the Differences? appeared first on Dr. Sherry Thomas.