Gynecology

The 35 members of the attending staff of the Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology include five perinatologists, four reproductive endocrinologists, a urogynecologist, a gynecologic oncologist and a director of ambulatory services. In addition, genetic counselors, perinatal nurse clinicians and nurse practitioners on staff contribute to teaching and clinical coverage in the department.

The Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology is a major affiliate of Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and serves as a teaching site for large numbers of medical students.

Making Choices

The Right Operation for You...
Not Your Mother's Hysterectomy

Fortunately, the days when solving "female problems" required major surgery and months of recovery time are long gone. While hysterectomy remains the second most-common surgery for women - with one in four women requiring the procedure by age 60 - this and other gynecological problems can often be resolved with new, minimally invasive surgical techniques.

Operating rooms in Stamford Hospital are equipped with state-of-the-art technology, enabling physicians to perform these advanced procedures so patients can head home within a few hours, to heal faster and more comfortably, with just a few Band-aids or - sometimes - no incision at all.

Minimally invasive gynecological surgical methods performed at Stamford Hospital include:

Laparoscopic Surgery
This involves passing a thin fiber-optic tube equipped with a tiny video camera through an incision made in the navel. The surgeon then guides the tube to the affected area and performs the operation using tiny instruments inserted through several other small incisions.

Hysteroscopic Surgery
This procedure utilizes a thin telescopic tube, inserted vaginally, to visualize the interior of the uterus. The surgeon performs the operation with small instruments inserted through the hysteroscope. No incision is required.

Common Gynecological Surgical Procedures

The following procedures are performed at Stamford Hospital with minimally invasive techniques:

Gynecological Oncology

The Stamford Hospital Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology provides comprehensive cancer care through its Division of Gynecologic Oncology, headed by Iris Wertheim, M.D.

Dr. Wertheim provides consultations, surgery and follow-up evaluations for women with gynecologic malignancies and complex benign surgical conditions. She also presides over a monthly interdisciplinary tumor board where all gynecologic cancer cases are presented and discussed with Stamford Hospital medical and radiation oncologists, as well as with members of the Pathology and Surgery departments. This team approach enables each patient to have seamless care, with all medical personnel participating in treatment planning and follow-up.

Benign Gynecological Surgery

Stamford Hospital has always been and remains in the forefront of the changing world of gynecologic surgery.  Many conditions do require full abdominal surgery; but, over the past three decades, more and more surgery for benign conditions has been conducted via endoscopy — outpatient insertion of instruments through small incisions. The department has many surgeons skilled in minimally invasive techniques, from operative laparoscopy for benign ovarian conditions, endometriosis and pelvic adhesions, to hysteroscopic uterine surgery - which can repair abnormalities and often prevent the need for hysterectomy. If the condition does require hysterectomy, it can often be done without a major incision. The new outpatient operating rooms at the Tully Health Center campus will enable patients to have access to even more sophisticated techniques and equipment.

In addition, the department has established a Division of Urogynecology, which offers diagnosis and treatment of female urinary disorders, including medical and surgical management of incontinence.