Services

Navigating the world of women's healthcare without a reliable, experienced guide is often overwhelming and frightening. Working with Dr. Barbara Hessel is an entirely different experience. By encouraging you to take an active role in your own health and wellness and offering you an individualized care plan, it's the level of treatment you deserve.

Here are just a few of the services offered:

• Well-woman care
• Evaluation & treatment of gynecologic health concerns, including abnormal Pap tests, pelvic pain, abnormal bleeding & more
• Minimally invasive surgical solutions
• Hysterectomy options & alternatives
• Menopause wellness
• Personalized obstetrics
• In-office ultrasound - and blood work for your comfort and convenience
• Urodynamic testing for urinary incontinence, urgency and frequency
• Flexible appointments, including early morning, late evening, same or next day, and emergency appointments
• Most insurance accepted

Dr. Hessel also offers specialized treatment for chronic pelvic pain, abnormal bleeding, and uterine fibroids.

Chronic Pelvic Pain

Chronic pelvic pain can make life miserable, and it's one of the most challenging women's health issues for doctors to diagnose and treat effectively. With the ongoing discomfort, abnormal bleeding, painful intercourse and other problems that can accompany it, pelvic pain can be frustrating and tough to deal with for any woman. Fortunately, with the help of a well-qualified, dedicated physician like Dr. Hessel, women do not have to accept pelvic pain as a part of life.

Here you'll find a highly personal approach to resolving chronic pelvic pain, treating the spectrum of underlying conditions, including:

• Endometriosis - An extremely common cause of pelvic pain, endometriosis occurs when the tissue that lines the uterus (the endometrium) grows outside the uterus and into the pelvic region and abdomen.
• Uterine fibroids - These noncancerous growths can develop inside or outside of the uterus.
• Pelvic adhesions - After surgery (or serious infection) in the abdomen or pelvic region, scar tissue can adhere to organs and cause them to "stick" to other organs (for instance, the ovaries and the fallopian tubes).

Comforting Expertise and Results: No matter what's causing your pelvic pain, you can take comfort in Dr. Hessel. As a Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and an award-winning gynecologic surgeon, she has the expertise that inspires confidence - and the compassion that matters when you're dealing with this intensely personal issue.

Your treatment plan may include medications and other nonsurgical options. You may also benefit from a laparoscopic procedure to address the cause of your pelvic pain. Laparoscopy is a minimally invasive surgical technique that requires only tiny incisions. For most women, laparoscopic surgery offers a remarkably quick, comfortable recovery. It's extremely effective in treating many gynecologic conditions. Dr. Hessel has extensive experience with these techniques and performs them at some of the finest facilities in our area.

If laparoscopy is right for you, she'll make sure you know exactly what to expect and give you complete answers to all your questions and concerns. Your comfort and well-being matter, especially when you need any kind of surgical care to resolve your pelvic pain.

Abnormal Bleeding

Whether it's heavy, painful periods or bleeding between cycles or after menopause, abnormal bleeding could be a sign of a serious problem. You don't have to tolerate it or spend your energy worrying about what's wrong. Dr. Hessel is here to help with the latest in patient-friendly gynecologic medicine, along with the expertise - and personal care - you and your primary physician can feel good about.

It Starts with Better Diagnostic Technology: Many women's health issues can lead to abnormal periods and other kinds of abnormal uterine bleeding. Here's a short list:

• Hormone imbalances - Especially for young women and for those of us approaching menopause.
• Uterine fibroids - Noncancerous growths that develop inside or outside of the uterus.
• Endometriosis - A painful condition that occurs when the lining of the uterus grows out into other parts of the pelvic region, interfering with the function of the pelvic organs and indirectly leading to abnormal bleeding.

With so many different factors involved, it's important to get well-qualified, experienced medical care from a dedicated physician. Dr. Hessel works with you to understand your medical history, your symptoms and your lifestyle. She'll talk with you about your condition, explain the pros and cons of all your options and guide you in making an empowered choice regarding your treatment.

A Better Standard of Care is Always the Prescription:

Dr. Hessel cares about your well-being. That's why she always recommends the treatment option that will be easiest on you in every way. She may treat your abnormal bleeding with:

• Nutrition & lifestyle changes - With plenty of education and support, simple solutions are sometimes the best idea.
• Low-dose birth control pills or other hormone therapy.
• Minimally invasive surgery - Dr. Hessel is an award-winning gynecologic surgeon and performs most procedures on an outpatient basis in some of the area's finest facilities.
• Endometrial ablation - One of the most effective techniques for relieving heavy, painful periods, this treatment offers a quick, remarkably comfortable recovery, and for many women, it is an excellent alternative to hysterectomy.

Uterine Fibroids

Many women have uterine fibroids - noncancerous growths inside or outside the uterus. They're generally harmless - in fact, most women aren't even aware that they have them. At their smallest, fibroids are only a few millimeters in size, but they can grow to the size of a grapefruit or larger! As fibroids grow, they definitely make their presence known when they begin causing symptoms that may include:

• Heavy, painful periods
• Bleeding between cycles
• Painful intercourse
• Pressure or fullness in the abdomen
• Low back pain
• Infertility

Uterine fibroids and their symptoms can be effectively treated - almost always without resorting to hysterectomy, despite what you may have heard. Dr. Hessel can help you overcome the sometimes debilitating symptoms and get back to your life.

More Effective Treatment Options: With Dr. Hessel you'll always be presented with the most simple, effective treatment plan - like medication or nutrition changes to help improve your symptoms. However, sometimes surgery is best. If it's right for you, you're in excellent hands with Dr. Hessel. She offers a level of skilled, experienced care that may help you recover much faster.

One excellent treatment option is a procedure called myomectomy. This surgery leaves the uterus intact, so it's an ideal choice if you want the ability to have children in the future.

Dr. Hessel is highly skilled with the minimally invasive technique for this surgery - laparoscopic myomectomy (not all gynecologic surgeons are trained in this method). Advantages of this technique include:

• Tiny incisions (about 1/2" long) rather than a large, open incision.
• No hospital stay, because Dr. Hessel generally performs the procedure in an outpatient setting.
• A remarkably quick, comfortable recovery - most women are back to their normal routine in a matter of days.

If this procedure is appropriate for you, Dr. Hessel will make sure you're completely informed. She'll take the time to explain everything in detail and do all she can to put your mind at ease so you can relax and go forward with confidence.

Call today to set up an appointment - or book online: