We provide complete and comprehensive care for women from the time of their reproductive potential until menopause and beyond, including diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. These services include menopause and geriatric gynaecology, preventive gynaecology, general obstetrics (pregnancy & childbirth), high-risk obstetrics, reproductive endocrinology & infertility services, family planning & contraception management, and general gynaecology.
Our patients are provided with advanced and world-class healthcare in our women’s clinic with surgical and medical management in two subspecialties:
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- Gynecology (which includes the health& problems of the female reproductive system: vagina, uterus, ovaries, and breasts).
- Obstetrics (which includes pregnancy, childbirth, and postnatal care).
Conditions like cervical cancer, pregnancy & childbirth; high-risk obstetrics (which includes diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, and hematologic conditions), menorrhagia, endometriosis, ovarian cysts, infertility, and many others are managed and dealt with in our women’s clinic.
Whether you seek a new doctor or have specific healthcare concerns, our physicians are committed to investing in your well-being and stand ready to serve you and your family. We care for the whole patient—considering your emotional and social needs, in addition to addressing all of your healthcare concerns in a warm, personal and caring environment. Understanding that your healthcare needs change throughout your lifetime, Aastha Hospital and IVF Centre is here to welcome you, wherever you are in your healthcare journey.
Identify Your Health Needs:
Behavioral Health
| Your emotional health is just as important as your physical health. Know that you are not alone. Seeking help is the best thing you can do for yourself and your family.
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Breast Health
| Finding breast cancer early is the main goal of routine breast care. That’s why it’s so important to follow this plan for preventive care. Finding problems early gives you the best chance of successful treatment. Routine care can also help find other noncancerous or benign conditions, too. |
Menopause
| Through a new openness to talk about menopause, there’s more help available to women who are having difficulty coping with this time in their lives. |
Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology
| A woman’s body is very different and more developed than the body of a young or adolescent girl, and the gynecologic problems of younger females need special expertise. |
PMS and PMDD
| Premenstrual syndrome is a condition in women that results in bloating, headaches, and breast tenderness in a week or so before a menstrual cycle begins. |
Postpartum Health
| Women & Infants Hospital offers a variety of health education programs aimed at keeping you and your family healthy. |
Support Groups
| When you are experiencing a change in your life with pregnancy or have added stress due to illness, there is nothing more beneficial than meeting other women who are dealing with similar issues. |
Obstetrics and Gynecology Care Center
| obstetrics and gynecology, medical/surgical specialty concerned with the care of women from pregnancy until after delivery and with the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the female reproductive tract. |
Pregnancy and Childbirth
| The process and series of changes that take place in a woman’s body as a result of having a developing human within her is called pregnancy. The emergence of a baby from the body of its mother is called birth. Pregnancy begins with conception, which occurs when the female and male sex cells combine to form a new cell. |
Fertility Center
| We are passionately committed to assisting both men and women in building a family, no matter their fertility challenges or sexual orientation. |
Family Planning Clinic
| If you need to discuss abortion care for pregnancy, please feel free to contact the Family Planning Clinic. |
STEP-UP Project
| Preeclampsia is a pregnancy complication characterized by high blood pressure and signs of damage to another organ system, most often the liver and kidneys. |
Abnormal Pap Smear
The Women’s Dysplasia Program is for women who need an additional Pap test after an abnormal result, a test for HPV (human papillomavirus), or a more detailed test called a colposcopy.
Irregular, painful, or heavy menstrual cycles
What is heavy bleeding?
Heavy menstrual bleeding, or menorrhagia, is prolonged or very heavy menstrual bleeding that could be related to various health conditions, including hormones or diseases. It is a treatable problem.
Causes
When an egg is not fertilized, the lining of the uterine wall begins to deteriorate and break down, which causes bleeding.
Hormones
- Estrogen and progesterone imbalances
- Other hormones
Diseases and other causes
- Bleeding disorders
- Cancer
- Fibroids
- Intrauterine contraceptive devices
- Kidney or liver disease
- Miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy
- Thyroid conditions
Symptoms
If a tampon or pad has to be changed every one or two hours and is soaked through or bleed for longer than a week, a healthcare provider should be sought.
Diagnosis
- Biopsies – Examine tissue
- Blood tests – check for anemia
- Dilation and curettage – scraping and examining the cavity
- Hysteroscopy – cervix can be viewed using an instrument that has been inserted
- Pap test – cells collected from the cervix and examined
- Ultrasound –sounds waves are used to create an image of the uterus
Treatment
- Ablation – a procedure used to deteriorate the uterine lining
- Birth control pills – Stops ovulation
- Iron supplements – treat anemia due to loss of blood
- Hysterectomy – surgery to remove the uterus
- Progesterone hormone treatment
- Prostaglandin inhibitors – nonsteroidal drugs to reduce cramping and reduce bleeding
Resectioning – uterine lining is removed
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
What is Polycystic ovarian syndrome?
Polycystic ovarian syndrome is a series of symptoms due to issues with women’s hormones and affects the ovaries. In polycystic ovarian syndrome cysts that can develop on ovaries create a hormone called androgen, which is mostly found in men. Though naturally found in small amounts in women, when the level is too high, it causes issues with a woman’s menstrual cycle and subsequent symptoms.
Women with polycystic ovarian syndrome could develop other serious health concerns, including diabetes, high blood pressure, and uterine cancer.
Risk factors
- Genetic factors, such as if a mother or sister has developed it
- Insulin resistance
- Obesity
Symptoms
- Abnormal or irregular period pf menstrual cycle
- Acne
- Excess bodily hair
- Infertility
- Ovaries develop cysts or are large
- Skin tags or patches of discoloration
- Thinning hair
- Weight gain
Diagnosis
- Blood test
- Ultrasound
Treatment
- Healthy diet
Medication
Sexually Transmitted Infections
Sexually transmitted diseases can most often occur through direct and unprotected sexual contact vaginally, anally, or orally. Commonly, symptoms usually include a combination of the following:
- pain or discomfort during sex or urination
- sores, bumps, or rashes on or around the vagina, anus, buttocks, thighs, or mouth
- unusual discharge or bleeding from the genitals
- itchiness in or around the genital area
These diseases can also be contracted by sharing needles.
Types of STI’s
The most common types are:
Chlamydia – Bacterial infection that causes pain during sex or urination and in the lower abdomen, and colored discharge from the genitals. It can lead to various infections as well as pelvic inflammatory diseases and infertility. Babies born to untreated mothers may develop blindness, eye infections, or pneumonia.
Gonorrhea – Bacterial infection that often does not present symptoms, but those that do include a lighter colored discharge from the genitals, pain during sex or urination, frequent urination, itching around the genitals, and sore throat. It can lead to other infections, infertility, and pelvic inflammatory disease, and it is treated with antibiotics. It can pass from mother to child during childbirth.
Herpes – Officially called the herpes simplex virus, there are two strains of the virus, which commonly are transmitted sexually. It causes cold sore, with are blisters on the genitals or mouth. They heal on their own within a few weeks. It can be passed to a fetus in the womb or to a baby during childbirth, and congenital herpes can be dangerous. There is no cure
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) – Immune system becomes damaged or compromised and can lead to contracting other diseases, developing cancer, and possibly to AIDS, a more severe form of the virus if not treated. Symptoms resemble the flu and include aches, chills, fever, headaches, nausea, rashes, sore throat, and swollen lymph nodes. There is no cure yet, but management, starting in the early stages, is effective.
Human papillomavirus, (HPV) – Virus that is passed by skin-to-skin contact, and symptoms usually involve warts on the genitals, mouth, or throat, and certain strains can lead to cancers affecting the cervix, rectum, mouth, and vulva. There is no treatment, but infections are often clear on their own. There are vaccines for the more dangerous strains.
Lice – Small infects similar to head or body lice and live in the public hair. Symptoms include itching, bumps, low-grade fever, fatigue and irritability. They are easy to transmit to others through contact and by sharing clothes, bedding, towels, and touching other objects.
Syphilis – Bacterial infection characterized by a sore with later symptoms including rashes, fatigue, fever, headaches, joint pain, hair loss, or weight loss, and it can lead to a loss of sensory functions, mental illness, heart disease, other infections, and possibly death.
Trichomoniasis – Tiny organism that is hard to detect. A smaller percentage of people develop symptoms, which include genital discharge, itching or burning, painful sex or urination, and frequent urination. It can lead to infections, infertility, and pelvic inflammatory disease, but it is treated with antibiotics.
Vulvar Skin Conditions
What is the vulva?
The vulva is the external genital area of women. The outer folds of skin are called the labia majora and the inner folds are called the labia minora.
Services
The Vulvar Clinic at Women & Infants Hospital provides evaluation and treatment of acute, chronic and recurrent conditions.
Learn More
Types of vulvar skin conditions
Folliculitis
Folliculitis appears as small, red, and sometimes painful bumps caused by bacteria that infect a hair follicle. It can occur on the labia majora. This can happen because of shaving, waxing, or even friction. Folliculitis often goes away by itself, but avoiding contact or creating more friction helps.
Contact dermatitis
Contact dermatitis is caused by irritation of the skin by items such as soaps, lotion, fabrics, or perfumes. Symptoms can include extreme itching, rawness, stinging, burning, and pain. Treatment involves avoidance of the source of irritation and possibly steroidal medication in severe cases.
Lichen simplex chronicus
Lichen simplex chronicus may be a result of contact dermatitis or other skin disorder that has been present for a long time. Thickened, scaly areas appear on the vulva. It causes intense itching. Treatment may include steroid creams. this purpose.
Lichen sclerosus
Lichen sclerosus is a skin disorder that can cause itching, burning, pain during sex, and tears in the skin. The vulvar skin may appear thin, white, and crinkled, and white bumps may be present with dark purple coloring. Treatment may include steroidal creams.
Llichen planus
Lichen planus is a skin disorder that causes Itching, soreness, burning, and abnormal discharge. There may be white streaks on the vulvar skin, or the entire surface may be white or darkened bumps. Treatment may include creams, prescription drugs, or injections, which may be required long-term.
Vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia
Vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia involves a development of non-cancerous cells that are often caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. Symptoms include itching, burning, or irregular skin that may be bumpy, smooth, or a different colour. Treatment may include cream, laser treatment, or surgery. The HPV vaccine can help prevent this condition.
Vulvar cancer
Vulvar cancer can be caused by an infection with HPV. Other forms of cancer that can affect the vulva include melanoma (skin cancer) Symptoms may include itching, burning, inflammation, or pain. Other symptoms of cancer include a lump or sore on the vulva, changes in skin color, or a bump. Treatment varies depending on the stage of cancer, but surgery is common, while other treatments such as chemotherapy or radiation could also be used in certain circumstances.
Bladder Infection/UTI
Although the urinary system is designed to keep out bacteria that cause infection. UTIs typically occur when bacteria get into the bladder through the urethra.
Overactive bladder
Overactive bladder is any combination of problems. Several treatments are available for overactive bladder.
Urogyn and Pelvic Health
Approximately 8 to 10 million women in the U.S. are seriously affected by urinary incontinence and pelvic floor disorders. Many women are unaware that help is available for these uncomfortable and frequently disabling conditions.
Endometriosis
Approximately 8 to 10 million women in the U.S. are seriously affected by urinary incontinence and pelvic floor disorders. Many women are unaware that help is available for these uncomfortable and frequently disabling conditions.
Ovarian Cysts or Masses
What is an ovarian cyst?
The ovaries, which are responsible for producing hormones and an egg during a woman’s menstrual cycle. During the normal reproductive cycle, a cyst, or a fluid-filled sac, may develop on an ovary. Most of these cysts are harmless and go away on their own, but some can be harmful.
Most often they are non-cancerous, or benign, but some may be cancerous, or malignant. A cyst can be determined using an ultrasound.
Common types of benign cysts include:
- Dermoid – Made from different types of tissue including teeth, hair, fat, or skin. These are more common in younger women and are often painless.
- Endometrioma – When endometriosis grows on the ovary, a cyst called an endometrioma may develop. These may be very painful when a patient is near her menstrual cycle.
- Cystadenoma – Cysts that grow from the outside of the ovary. If these grow large, the woman may feel bloated, pain, or discomfort.
Treatment
Treatment can utilize non-invasive surgical procedures called laparoscopy, which uses a small incision in the umbilical area.
Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) and Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD)
Premenstrual syndrome is a condition in women that results in bloating, headaches, and breast tenderness in a week or so before a menstrual cycle begins. Premenstrual dysphoric disorder is a more serious form that entails anxiety and depression and irritability.
The causes are unknown but could be due to decreased levels of estrogen and progesterone hormones. Other chemicals in the body, including serotonin, also may have a role.
Symptoms
In PMS, symptoms include:
- Bloating
- Body and breast tenderness
- Headaches
In PMDD, symptoms include:
- Anger
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Difficulty concentrating or focusing
- Fatigue
- Food cravings
- Headaches
- Insomnia
- Mood swings
- Suicidal thoughts
Diagnosis
A medical provider will review medical and family histories to help determine the cause of symptoms.
Treatment
- Antidepressant medication
- Birth control pills
- Diet changes
- Exercise
- Pain medications
- Stress management
Uterine Fibroids
Uterine fibroids are benign growths in or on the walls of the uterus that often occur in pre-menopause. They rarely cause symptoms, but some symptoms might include heavy menstrual bleeding, pain, constipation, or frequent urination.
Gynecological Cancer Center
The Program in Women’s Oncology treats the full range of gynecologic cancers, including cancer of the cervix, endometrium/uterus, fallopian tube, ovaries, vagina, and vulva.
Minimally Invasive Gynecologic
The Minimally Invasive Gynecological (MIGS) program at Women & Infants Hospital offers complex surgical treatments of benign (non-cancerous) diseases.
Urinary Incontinence
Many women face personal health problems that can interfere with their daily living. Most of these conditions are unique to women—including urinary incontinence and pelvic floor disorders such as genital prolapse.
