Regular Check-ups: A Step Toward Good Health

As women mature, they face a number of health concerns such as menopause and diseases such as osteoporosis, breast and lung cancer and heart disease.

Providence primary care physicians agree that regular physical examinations and patient education are vital tools in maintaining good health, preventing disease and detecting health problems at an early stage.

Gynecology
Providence provides gynecological services for women of all ages throughout our network of medical centers and advanced care specialty centers.

Laser and Laparoscopic Surgery
Just a few of the advanced technologies offered include laser laparoscopy and hysteroscopy – techniques that are less invasive and allow patients to return to their normal activities in dramatically shorter periods of time than conventional surgeries. For decades, Providence has been a leader in laser surgeries of all types.

In a surgical procedure done with a laser (an intensely focused light source), trained physicians can treat certain disorders, including endometriosis, blocked fallopian tubes and vaginal or cervical lesions, with minimal blood loss and little damage to surrounding tissue.

Laparoscopic surgeries, which can be used to remove adhesions and ovarian cysts, to correct defects of the uterus and to perform hysterectomies, involve inserting viewing instruments and surgical instruments through two small incisions. Laparoscopic surgery, performed by physicians with special training, can also be used to remove gallbladders and repair hernias.

Reproductive Endocrinology
Providence specialists who care for women with problems of infertility also diagnose and treat women with reproductive endocrine disorders. With menopause, the ovaries stop producing estrogen and progesterone. The declining levels of these hormones can contribute to symptoms that some women experience during menopause: hot flashes, night sweats, and in some cases, short-term memory loss. Declining estrogen levels can also be associated with osteoporosis and increased risk of coronary artery disease. Hormone replacement therapy may help some women combat these natural effects of the menopausal process.

Urogynecology
Sometimes as a result of childbirth, women experience urinary incontinence and other bladder problems. Urogynecologists at Providence use specialized tools to detect the causes of these problems. Determining the correct cause can often avoid unnecessary surgery; in many cases, the problem can be treated with medication.

Mammography
One in every eight women develops breast cancer in her lifetime according to statistics from the American Cancer Society. The good news for women is that, if detected early, breast cancer is 90 percent curable. And mammography, or breast x-ray, is the most effective means of early detection, since it can often find tumors before you can feel them during monthly breast self-examination.

Providence offers several convenient locations for mammography: at the Breast Health and Education Center on the Hospital’s Southfield campus; at the Kenneth, Sr., and Mary Elliott and Family Breast Care Center at Providence Medical Center - Providence Park in Novi; at Providence Medical Center - Farmington Hills; and at Mission Health Medical Center - Livonia.

Each mammography facility is fully accredited by the American College of Radiology (ACR), the Michigan Department of Public Health (MDPH) and the Health Care Financing Association (HCFA), and has been designed with your comfort and privacy in mind. For the mammography center most convenient for you, please call 1-877-MAM-XRAY.

Stereotactic Needle Biopsy
Stereotactic needle biopsy is a minimally invasive alternative to surgical biopsy for breast lumps too small to be felt or palpated. Offered at Providence Medical Center - Providence Park in Novi, stereotactic needle biopsy is a technique for obtaining core samples of breast lesions, requires no sedation, reduces scarring, and is considered to be safe and accurate.