Page 18 - Senior Scene Magazine November 2018

Senior Scene® | November Issue
Choosing a Doctor
Why Experience (and Sub
de ned then before. It used to be that these things were managed by your general gynecologist (deliver your baby, then x your bladder in 10 years), or a general urologist ( x your husband’s prostate and then your bladder). That has all changed for the better. Over the last 30 years there has been a great deal of scienti c interest and tremendous growth in our knowledge and subsequent advances in the treatment of these problems. There have been signi cant efforts to increase awareness and understanding for the millions of women whose lives are adversely affected, so they no longer have to suffer in silence.
Thus was born the eld of Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery, a.k.a. UROGYNECOLOGY which received Board Certi cation status in 2012. We now have speci c postgraduate specialized training, requirements, and testing to qualify. We maintain certi cation with yearly training and testing. Physicians with special interest and motivation in either gynecology or urology can obtain fellowships and seek Board Certi cation when quali ed. Their practice then remains primarily focused on the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the pelvis in women.
How do you know if your doctor is quali ed? Ask.
A quality physician will discuss their practice with you
and welcome questions. A good physician will always encourage another opinion if you request one. After all, multiple studies document better outcomes and lower complication rates with “high-volume” sub-specialized surgeons vs. “low-volume” surgeons. A recent study found 41% fewer complications in the “high-volume” group!
So, look for the letters FPMRS at the end of you doctors credentials. AUGS.org is a good place to start.
For additional information please call Zipper UrogynecologyAssociatesat321-674-2114 SS
NEED HELP with a Federal Government Agency
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are Here to Serve You!
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specialization) Counts By: James Raders M.D. FPMRS Zipper Urogynecology Associates
Every day we are required to make dozens of choices: What do I want for breakfast? What will I wear? What do
I want to do? You get the idea. At times, the number of options can be overwhelming. We often put choices off, or worse, make whatever choice is easy, or what someone else tell us to do. The consequences of this may not make much difference if it concerns the kind of toothpaste you use. However, consider the consequence of not making the best choice when it comes to your health. After all, you would not have a dermatologist care for you heart problem, nor would you let a cardiologist take care of your skin.
As major advances in medicine continue, specialization becomes more important. As information expands, options grow and procedures become more skill-dependent.
More and more physicians are sharpening their focus, concentrating on honing their skills in narrow areas of practice. Some disciplines have become so advanced, is it next to impossible to keep up and become a true expert in only one.
Ask yourself: What kind of doctor do I need if I have problems with my bladder? (leaking, urgency, frequency, getting up at night, infections). What about your bowels? (accidents, urgency, dif culty going). Pelvic organ prolapse? (bulging from the vagina, pressure, “something there feeling”). Discomfort with intercourse, vaginal dryness, or a number of other things involving the “pelvic oor”. What kind of specialist treats that? The answer is much more
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18 | www.seniorscenemag.com | November 2017
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