Monthly Archives: June 2017

What are the Types of Birth Control - Arizona Gynecology Consultants

What Are the Different Types of Birth Control?

Birth control is a major decision for every woman. Choosing the right birth control option isn’t always about contraception, either; some women use different types of birth control to manage the symptoms of gynecological conditions such as endometriosis, ovarian cysts and abnormal uterine bleeding issues.

Birth Control Preferences by State

If you’re considering starting birth control, changing the type of birth control you use, or making other decisions about birth control, it’s important to know your options and speak at length with your doctor about your concerns with any of those options.

Types of Birth Control

Birth control exists in both preventive and situational forms. Some women with hormone irregularities benefit from hormone-based birth control options while other prefer intrauterine devices (IUDs) that have a less hormonal impact. Other women prefer permanent birth control methods.

Before starting any type of birth control, make sure you fully understand the intended effects and potential risks.

Hormonal Birth Control

Hormonal medications in pill form are how millions of American women manage their family planning and control any uterine conditions. It’s easily the most popular form of birth control,

Hormonal birth control exists in pill form as well as dermal patches, injections and implants. Some intrauterine devices also qualify as hormonal birth control, because they release different hormones into the bloodstream.

It’s vital to consider the potential side effects of these options, however. Some women prefer alternatives to hormonal medications due to their effects on mood, cognition and sleep.

Intrauterine Devices

IUDs provide an effective alternative to hormonal medications. It’s important to remember, however, that some IUDs still contain hormones. Non-hormonal IUDs physically obstruct the fertilization process and last anywhere from five to 10 years. Some women elect to have IUDs with low doses of hormones to manage severe menstrual cramping.

Some patients experience complications with IUDs due to anatomical difficulties, incompatibility with materials, and other factors. If you have an IUD implanted, it’s crucial to follow your doctor’s directions and call immediately if you believe the IUD has dislodged from its proper position.

Barrier Contraceptives

As the name suggests, this method of birth control involves placing a barrier between the uterus and a partner’s sperm cells. One of the most common forms of barrier birth control is condom use, but it’s important to remember that condoms are not foolproof.

Condoms can break or degrade, and it’s important to always check a condom for expiration date and package integrity first. If a condom’s package is open, damaged, punctured or torn, discard it and use a new one. If a condom breaks during intercourse, it’s best to stop and have your partner put on a new one before continuing.

Other forms of barrier birth control devices include diaphragms and vaginal sponges. These methods are not surefire methods for preventing pregnancy and require reapplication or reinsertion every time you have sex.

A diaphragm is essentially a reverse condom that fits inside the vagina and holds to the cervix with a ring. The outer layer protrudes from the vagina and the partner enters inside the diaphragm, which then catches the partner’s sperm cells.

Vaginal sponges, on the other hand, effectively soak up the partner’s sperm cells for disposal.

Fertility Awareness

Some couples do not use traditional birth control methods for personal or religious reasons. These couples can often successfully manage their family planning by keeping close tabs on the woman’s menstruation and ovulation schedule. During times when the woman is most fertile, the couple can simply abstain from sex or use barrier contraceptives.

Sterilization

Some women and couples do not wish to ever have children. In these cases, permanent methods of birth control work very well. Sterilization involves either a vasectomy for men or a tubal ligation for women.

A vasectomy is an outpatient procedure that is minimally invasive, reversible and entails very mild discomfort and easy recovery. Tubal ligation is a more invasive and permanent option, so couples should discuss these options at length to decide what would work best for them.

Managing Your Birth Control

Unless you plan to rely solely on barrier birth control methods or fertility awareness, you need to know the various effects any type of birth control will have on you and your body. Hormonal birth control medications and devices can sometimes complicate preexisting medical conditions or conflict with certain aspects of your lifestyle. For example, birth control may not be as effective for a smoker as it would be for a non-smoker.

Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should not use birth control until a doctor advises that it is safe to do so. The hormones in most birth control options can cause serious fetal harm or other complications with pregnancy.

Women who have had different types of cancer, undergone certain medical procedures or who have serious health problems (such as heart disease, blood clots, diabetes or high blood pressure) need to be careful with birth control as well.

The staff at Arizona Gynecology Consultants is always available to answer patients’ questions and address all concerns about birth control. Starting or changing birth control isn’t an easy thing to do, and our providers aim to provide holistic care that treats the whole person. Learn more about the different birth control options by contacting Arizona Gynecology Consultants today.

What is a Cystoscopy - Arizona Gynecology Consultants

What is a Cystoscopy?

This entry was posted in Health FAQs and tagged on by .

A cystoscopy is a medical procedure intended to locate irregularities within a woman’s urethra or bladder.[1]Matulewicz RS, DeLancey JO, Meeks JJ. Cystoscopy. JAMA. 2017;317(11):1187. Retrieved May 24, 2022, from https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2612619 During a cystoscopy, the physician performing the procedure uses a very thin instrument with a light source to look for any problems. The physician will fill the patient’s bladder with sterile fluid to expand the bladder walls to make it easier for the camera to see.

It’s important for anyone expecting to undergo this procedure soon to know how to prepare for it and what to expect afterward.

Preparing for a Cystoscopy

Patients should drink plenty of fluids the day before a cystoscopy. This will hydrate the patient and help flush waste through the bladder, so it is as clear as possible before the examination.

A doctor will typically ask the patient for a urine sample before performing the cystoscopy. Patients who have urinary tract infections or weak immune systems may need to complete a round of antibiotics before undergoing a cystoscopy.

The test will require the use of anesthesia, and different patients may receive different types of anesthesia. If a patient requires general anesthesia, she will likely need to fast for several hours before the cystoscopy. General anesthesia renders a patient completely unconscious, and food in the patient’s stomach can cause life-threatening complications while under the effects of general anesthesia. [2]Dongare, P. A., Bhaskar, S. B., Harsoor, S. S., Garg, R., Kannan, S., Goneppanavar, U., Ali, Z., Gopinath, R., Sood, J., Mani, K., Bhatia, P., Rohatgi, P., Das, R., Ghosh, S., Mahankali, S. S., Singh … Continue reading

Other patients may require only a regional or local anesthetic. A dose of regional anesthesia will take the form of an injection in the spine that numbs the patient from the waist down. Local anesthesia will numb only the area of the body that houses the bladder, and the patient will be awake during a procedure. Patients who undergo general or regional anesthesia should expect a hospital stay of at least a few hours following a cystoscopy.

A Note About Anesthesia

Doctors have a legal requirement to fully inform their patients about the risks of any procedure or treatment option, and this includes anesthesia.[3]Hall, D. E., Prochazka, A. V., & Fink, A. S. (2012). Informed consent for clinical treatment. CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l’Association medicale canadienne, … Continue reading Once you have decided on the route you prefer to take for your cystoscopy, it is imperative that you follow your doctor’s preparation instructions. If you forget something or otherwise fail to follow your doctor’s directions, tell your doctor immediately so he or she can make the necessary adjustments.

The Cystoscopy Procedure

When the time comes for the patient to undergo a cystoscopy, the doctor will first instruct the patient to empty her bladder and put on a hospital gown. If the patient receives general anesthesia, she will lose consciousness at this point and awaken after the procedure ends. Patients who receive local or regional anesthesia may also receive sedatives for the duration of the procedure.

The doctor will then numb the urethra with an anesthetic spray or gel. After lubricating the test device with gel, the doctor will insert it into the patient’s urethra. Patients who are conscious of their cystoscopy procedures may feel a sensation like needing to urinate or a slight burning.

Types of Cystoscopy Procedures

Doctors generally perform two types of cystoscopies:

  • Investigatory
  • Biopsy

An investigatory cystoscopy will involve the use of a thin, flexible scope to easily move around the inside of the urethra and the bladder to look for problems.[4]Kadi, N., & Menezes, P. (2011). ABC of flexible cystoscopy for junior trainee and general practitioner. International journal of general medicine, 4, 593–596. https://doi.org/10.2147/IJGM.S20267 If a more in-depth cystoscopy is necessary for biopsy, the doctor may instead use a rigid scope to allow the insertion of other surgical instruments into the bladder.

During a biopsy, the doctor will extract a cell sample from the target area to have it tested for cancer. A cystoscopy performed with a larger, more intrusive instrument may lead to more severe recovery symptoms.

Patients who receive local or regional anesthesia should expect the cystoscopy to last about five minutes. Procedures with general anesthesia usually take 30 minutes or longer.

Common Postoperative Recovery Symptoms

A cystoscopy can leave a patient with several uncomfortable symptoms that can last several days or longer. One of the most common symptoms reported by patients is a persistent need to urinate or more frequent urination for two or three days after a cystoscopy.

It’s important to remember not to hold it in for longer than necessary during this time. Some cystoscopy procedures may cause bleeding inside the bladder or urethra, and holding it in can cause a blood clot or blockage.

Blood in the urine is another common symptom after a cystoscopy, especially if the doctor performed a biopsy during the procedure. Excessive bleeding or the appearance of bright red blood or bloody tissues in urine are major problems. Patients who experience this, high fever, persistent stomach pain or the need to urinate (but cannot) should contact their doctors immediately.

In some cases, a cystoscopy can lead to a swollen urethra or an infection.[5]Jaclyn A Cusumano, PharmD, Matthew Hermenau, PharmD, Melissa Gaitanis, MD, Michelle Travis, DNP, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, CUNP, Kerry L LaPlante, PharmD, FIDSA, FCCP, Timothy Y Tran, MD, Kevin W McConeghy, … Continue reading A swollen urethra is very common after a cystoscopy and can make urination more difficult. However, this should subside within about eight hours.

If you cannot urinate more than eight hours following a cystoscopy, call your doctor. The appearance of an infection may simply require a round of antibiotics.

Any Other Questions on ‘What Is a Cystoscopy?’

The team at Arizona Gynecological Consultants takes patient satisfaction very seriously and strives to provide the highest standard of care possible. If you have questions about a cystoscopy procedure, reach out to us for more information about preparation and what to expect during and after the procedure.

References

References
1 Matulewicz RS, DeLancey JO, Meeks JJ. Cystoscopy. JAMA. 2017;317(11):1187. Retrieved May 24, 2022, from https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2612619
2 Dongare, P. A., Bhaskar, S. B., Harsoor, S. S., Garg, R., Kannan, S., Goneppanavar, U., Ali, Z., Gopinath, R., Sood, J., Mani, K., Bhatia, P., Rohatgi, P., Das, R., Ghosh, S., Mahankali, S. S., Singh Bajwa, S. J., Gupta, S., Pandya, S. T., Keshavan, V. H., Joshi, M., … Malhotra, N. (2020). Perioperative fasting and feeding in adults, obstetric, paediatric and bariatric population: Practice Guidelines from the Indian Society of Anaesthesiologists. Indian journal of anaesthesia, 64(7), 556–584. https://doi.org/10.4103/ija.IJA_735_20
3 Hall, D. E., Prochazka, A. V., & Fink, A. S. (2012). Informed consent for clinical treatment. CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l’Association medicale canadienne, 184(5), 533–540. https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.112120
4 Kadi, N., & Menezes, P. (2011). ABC of flexible cystoscopy for junior trainee and general practitioner. International journal of general medicine, 4, 593–596. https://doi.org/10.2147/IJGM.S20267
5 Jaclyn A Cusumano, PharmD, Matthew Hermenau, PharmD, Melissa Gaitanis, MD, Michelle Travis, DNP, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, CUNP, Kerry L LaPlante, PharmD, FIDSA, FCCP, Timothy Y Tran, MD, Kevin W McConeghy, PharmD, MS, Evaluation of post–flexible cystoscopy urinary tract infection rates, American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, Volume 77, Issue 22, Pages 1852–1858, https://doi.org/10.1093/ajhp/zxaa270