FAQ's

Women experience problems related to their reproductive system throughout their lives. These range from the beginning of their menstruation right through and beyond the menopause. When symptoms cannot be explained or when your family doctor is concerned, then referral to a specialist gynaecologist is warranted.

The doctors at Northwest Womens Health are experienced practitioners, sensitive to women’s needs and you can expect to be treated with dignity and respect. Privacy and a non-invasive environment will ensure your experience is pleasant and worthwhile. If an examination is required, we having nursing staff continually on hand to chaperone you and help the doctors.

Heavy periods are one of the commonest reasons women consult a gynaecologist. Heavy menstural bleeding is quantified when pads or tampons are being changed too frequently, clots may be passed, and the patient may get up several times at night to change.

Couples trying to conceive may take up to 12 months to have success. Approximately 10% will not be pregnant after this time, and further investigation is warranted. Couples older than 35 years of age often come earlier than this and have tests after 6 months of trying.

Previously the PAP smear was the main detection tool used to screen for precursors of Cervical Cancer. Since December 2017 throughout Australia screening for HPV (Human Papillomavirus) has become the standard practice. This is now called the Cervical Screening Test (CST). HPV mainly causes a condition called Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia (CIN). This is a precursor for cervical cancer and if found is 100% curable when caught in this early phase. Women are advised to have regular CSTs beginning at age 25 - screening may stop between 70 - 74 years of age in women who have previously tested negative.

There are two very common conditions causing urinary incontinence in women. Stress Incontinence – accidents that happen with coughing, laughing or sneezing; and Overactive Bladder – where accidents happen in association with symptoms such as urgency, frequency and going quite a few times in the middle of the night (nocturia). At Northwest Womens Health our doctors are experienced in sorting out the cause of the problem, thus making it much easier to fix!

Menopause has many symptoms and raises a wide variety of issues for women. The medical diagnosis of menopause can usually not be made for certain until the woman has had no periods for 12 months, in association with symptoms such as hot flushes, vaginal dryness, sleeplessness, mood changes and many others. The use of hormones causes many women much concern, but there are many aspects to the successful management of menopausal symptoms, one of which is HRT (hormone replacement therapy).

There is a vast choice of contraceptive agents for women. Choosing the right one for you may be simple, for others with complicated medical problems in the background, it can be quite a detailed process working out the safest and most effective method. A consultation with one of doctors will help you through this process.

These type of procedures typically involve 3 or 4 very small incisions in the abdomen, allowing the use of  specialised instruments and a tiny camera. The entire abdomen, pelvis, uterus and ovaries can be seen on a high definition screen. A laparoscope is a fibre-optic telescope designed to allow the surgeon to visualise and examine the organs lying within the pelvic and abdominal cavities.

The operation is performed under general anaesthesia. A very small cut is made just below the navel through which the operating telescope (laparoscope) is inserted. When necessary, separate small incisions are made low down and at the sides of the abdomen to allow insertion of other fine instruments, e.g. grasping forceps, scissors, etc., and these will enable organs and tissue to be grasped, moved or cut as is required for your surgery. The incisions are closed and small dressings are often applied to cover these wounds.

This procedure can be used to investigate pelvic pain, potential causes of infertility, examination of cysts and tumours, to obtain biopsy samples and to investigate suspected ectopic pregnancy – amongst other things. From an operating perspective, common procedures include :

• Female sterilisation
• Treatment of ectopic pregnancy
• Release/remove pelvic or abdominal adhesions
• Surgically treat endometriosis
• Excise or drain ovarian cysts
• Remove fibroid (benign) tumours from the uterus
• To enhance fertility eg: assisted reproductive techniques
• To facilitate hysterectomy
• Reconstruct the pelvic floor, treat prolapse and incontinence

No surgical procedure is entirely without risk, but this type of surgery attempts to minimise such risks. Anaesthesia itself has some slight risks and these are made worse by severe obesity or cigarette smoking. There is always a small chance that unforeseen circumstances may dictate that your procedure requires an open / traditional surgery approach but this is uncommon and occurs in about 1% of cases that are planned to proceed laparoscopically.

This is entirely dependent on your individual recovery – however whilst traditional surgery patients are encouraged to refrain from driving for 2- 4 weeks, you may be able to drive in as little as a few days depending on your surgery and your rate of recovery.  If in doubt, contact our staff for further advice.

Fibroids are benign tumours in the uterus which occur in 25% of women who are in the reproductive age group of 20 to 50 yrs. The symptoms are usually excessive bleeding during periods, heaviness, pelvic pain, and if large, a lump in the abdomen. There may also be pressure symptoms such as difficulty in passing urine and constipation. In Laparoscopic surgery for fibroid removal (myomectomy), the fibroid is separated from the uterus and removed. On average this would require one to two days in hospital.

Hysterectomy is the surgical removal of the uterus (womb). The common reasons are fibroids, heavy vaginal bleeding, prolapse, endometriosis  and cancer of the uterus or cervix. In most cases, it is performed through keyhole surgery (laparoscopy) except in patients where the uterus is so big there is no space for the laparoscope and other instruments. In hysterectomy, the uterus and its supports are separated with special equipment, which reduce blood loss and time of surgery. The uterus is then removed usually through the vagina. After hysterectomy, a woman will no longer have her periods, and will not be able to fall pregnant.

Ovarian cysts are small fluid-filled sacs that develop in the ovaries. The cysts can be simple cysts that are commonly found among younger women and just need observation. Cysts are usually benign (non-cancerous cysts) and need close monitoring. Surgery is needed when there is a large sized cyst (greater than 5 – 6 cm) and when it doesn’t go away by itself, or keeps growing.. Some cysts may cause problems due to rupture, bleeding, or torsion. Symptoms of cysts are fullness in the abdomen, painful periods and abnormal bleeding, problems passing urine completely and pain with fever and vomiting. Laparoscopic surgery can be performed for most ovarian cysts, unless malignancy (cancer) is suspected.

Pelvic organ prolapse is a weakness or laxity in the supporting structures of the pelvic region. The bladder, rectal, or uterine tissue may bulge into the vagina and this is called pelvic organ prolapse. Pelvic organ prolapse is a very common condition, particularly among older women. It is estimated that half of women who have children will experience some form of Pelvic Organ Prolapse in later life. A Prolapsed Uterus refers to a uterus that has descended lower down into the vagina. Other types of pelvic organ prolapse are Cystocoele (bladder prolapse), Rectocoele (rectal wall prolapse), and Enterocoele (prolapse of the small bowel). Finally there is Vaginal vault prolapse (prolapse following hysterectomy).

Laparoscopy can be used to determine abnormalities of the uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries. Defects such as scar tissue, endometriosis, fibroid tumours, congenital abnormalities and polycystic ovaries can be readily assessed at laparoscopy. In some women, the fallopian tubes are blocked. This can prevent the sperm and egg from coming together, causing infertility. With laparoscopy, some of the defects found can be surgically corrected.

Laparoscopic Sterilisation or Tubal ligation is also known as "tying the tubes“. This procedure involves obstructing the Fallopian tubes in order to prevent pregnancy. The fallopian tubes are on either side of the uterus and extend toward the ovaries. They receive eggs from the ovaries and transport them to the uterus. Once the fallopian tubes are closed, sperm can no longer reach the egg. Sterilisation can be performed using laparoscopy and normally requires only a day in hospital.