- Weight Loss, Women's HealthGeneral Page Tier 3BlogSeason three of the popular television drama This is Us recently premiered on NBC. During the first episode, one of the main characters, Kate, is diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. Commonly referred to as PCOS, this hormonal condition affects nearly 1 in 10 women of childbearing age. Timing of the health discovery is particularly important since Kate and her husband are trying to get pregnant. The show has also documented the character’s struggle with her weight since puberty as fans look on with empathy. Kate’s diagnosis now helps to explain her infertility struggles and obesity, as it does for many Americans. What is Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)? The exact cause of PCOS is not clear, but it is a set of symptoms caused by a problem with a woman’s hormones. It mainly affects the small organs that store a woman’s eggs, her ovaries. It can also affect the rest of the body. “Symptoms include irregular menstrual cycles, abnormal hair growth, acne and weight gain,” says Dr. Chason. “An evaluation may find higher levels of androgen hormones, glucose intolerance, and enlarged ovaries with a high number of small follicles (cysts). It can be difficult to diagnose because PCOS has a wide range of symptoms. Even professional societies debate the most accurate standards for diagnosis.” Understanding PCOS and fertility The hormonal imbalance contributes to the high levels of androgens, one type being testosterone. Higher than normal androgen levels can prevent ovulation. Ovulation happens when a mature egg is released from an ovary. This happens so it can be fertilized by a male sperm. “Most women with PCOS are not ovulating regularly or at all,” Dr. Chason says. An increase in testosterone causes eggs in the ovaries to never fully mature. The immature eggs then cause irregular ovulation, making it difficult to get pregnant. In most women, eggs that do not mature break down. In those with PCOS, the eggs stay trapped in the ovaries and begin to pile up. In addition, many women with PCOS have insulin resistance. The disorder can increase the risk of miscarriage as well as the risk of diabetes before or during pregnancy. The connection between excess weight and infertility Women with PCOS often have difficulties with metabolism. Though gaining weight does not happen to everyone, it is a common symptom. Excess weight interferes with ovulation. It’s also a risk factor for infertility and miscarriage apart from PCOS. This is because obesity changes the release of a key hormone called LH (luteinizing hormone) and also increases testosterone levels. Both contribute to hormone imbalance and immature eggs within the ovary. Dr. Doyle sees many women with PCOS come through her door. “Many of our female patients in the AAMC Metabolic and Weight Loss Surgery program suffer from PCOS as they begin their journey,” she says. “Almost 60 percent of women who suffer are obese. Similarly, half of sufferers have metabolic syndrome, a condition that increases the possibility of other health risks like diabetes and high blood pressure.” PCOS treatment and the odds of getting pregnant Lifestyle changes are the first line of therapy since exercise and weight loss can alter endocrine changes. This can’t cure PCOS, but it helps reduce symptoms and prevent some health problems. Often, losing weight decreases testosterone levels and regulates menstrual cycles. It also decreases a woman’s risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. A full set of treatment for PCOS depends on many things: age, how bad it is, general wellbeing, etc. Dr. Chason says that for women with PCOS who are not trying to get pregnant, birth control pills can normalize periods and decrease abnormal hair growth. The pill regulates testosterone. For women who would like to be pregnant, oral medications are available to induce ovulation. There is also in vitro fertilization (IVF), as Kate tries on the show. “Even with fertility treatment, a healthy weight is key to having a healthy pregnancy and delivery,” says Dr. Chason. “If a woman has irregular periods, a couple should find a specialist right away for an evaluation rather than keep trying on their own. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle and seeking expert help can make a world of difference.” READ MORE: 7 tips for successful weight loss Weight loss surgery Another option to help PCOS sufferers become pregnant is weight loss surgery. “I’ve had many patients who had weight loss surgery,” Dr. Chason says. “All of them saw an improvement in their overall health, often stopping their blood pressure or diabetes medications. In addition, their periods became more regular. Some of them then got pregnant on their own. Others still needed help, but they responded more quickly and easily to fertility treatment.” Dr. Doyle says her team has helped hundreds of patients find a path to a healthier life. The nutrition planning and weight loss surgery relieves many of the symptoms related to PCOS. In fact, the rate of PCOS in weight loss surgery patients falls nearly 60 percent before surgery and another 7 percent after surgery. This success stems from patients both losing weight and maintaining their weight loss. “Almost 90 percent of PCOS patients resume normal menstrual cycles after surgery. Nearly 60 percent also report improvement in other PCOS symptoms, like less abnormal hair growth and better control of hormones.” Authors Have you recently been diagnosed with PCOS or are struggling to get pregnant? Find help today. Dr. Courtney Doyle has offices in Annapolis and Easton. To learn more and meet Dr. Doyle, register to attend a free weight loss surgery seminar as the first step. Call her office at 443-481-6699 or visit our website to sign up online. You can visit Dr. Rebecca Chason at the Shady Grove Fertility Center in Annapolis. To schedule a consultation, call 410-224-5500 today.0
- WellnessGeneral Page Tier 3BlogMillions of us suffer from back pain. In fact, it’s one of the most common health problems in the United States. From a steady, dull throbbing to a sharp, sudden pain that radiates down your leg, there’s a wide range of ways you might experience it — and an even wider range of ways it can happen. Whether your pain developed suddenly after a fall or progressed slowly from age-related changes, the result is the same: symptoms that interfere with your daily life. That’s why it’s important to let a specialist take a closer look, so you can better understand your options and work together to build a treatment plan. Causes of back pain symptoms Almost everyone will experience back pain at some time in their life. Several factors can contribute to back pain, including your: Age Diet Family history Fitness level Job-related risk Stress level Weight When to see a doctor about your back pain symptoms Plan to see your doctor right away if you have pain that doesn’t improve after a few weeks, or if you have these symptoms: Back pain after a fall or injury Fever, which can be a sign of discitis or an epidural abscess Numbness and tingling Severe back pain that medicine doesn’t help Trouble urinating Unplanned weight loss Weakness Treatment for back pain The right treatment depends on the cause of your pain. Your doctor will do a full exam, which may include X-rays and scans, to better pinpoint what’s causing your pain and how best to treat it. An accurate diagnosis is essential as many different structural problems can give similar and often overlapping symptoms. In some cases, you can improve back pain with lifestyle changes, such as staying active to increase strength and balance. You could also work to maintain a healthy body weight to lower stress on your back. Traditional and complementary treatments Your doctor may suggest traditional treatments such as muscle relaxers or numbing injections. Your provider may also suggest complementary approaches such as acupuncture, spinal manipulation, Tai chi or yoga. When you may need surgery for back pain Conservative therapy, including physical therapy, is effective in nearly 80 percent of cases. If physical therapy and other traditional or complementary treatments are not providing relief, surgery may be an option to help alleviate your back pain. Surgical approaches range from minimally invasive procedures to more complex open operations, and an experienced surgeon can partner with you to develop a personalized treatment plan aligned with your overall health and wellness goals. In about 20 percent of cases, sacroiliac, or SI, fusion may be the most effective way to relieve back pain and restore stability. What is SI fusion? The SI joint is where the spine and pelvis meet. SI fusion makes the SI joint more stable since it, like any joint, can break down over time or because of an injury. The result is often a painful lower back. Your neurosurgeon will make a small incision and use an implant system to stabilize and fuse the SI joint to prevent ongoing pain. The procedure is designed to help you recover faster with fewer complications and better outcomes. SI fusion is a minimally invasive surgery that has a very high success rate. After surgery, patients typically recover in about three weeks using a walker or crutch. Most don’t need physical therapy during this time. Expert care for your back pain is within reach If you haven’t been able to find relief from back pain, ask your doctor if the pain could be related to your SI joints. If you are diagnosed with an SI joint condition, please contact Christopher Taleghani, MD at 443-451-4994. Authors Christopher Taleghani, MD, has performed more than 500 sacroiliac joint fusion procedures, making him one of the most experienced minimally invasive spine surgeons in the world. He is an invited lecturer, educator, and innovator in the development and advancement of minimally invasive surgical techniques.0
- News & Press ReleasesGeneral Page Tier 3BlogAnne Arundel Medical Center’s (AAMC) Chief Information Officer Dave Lehr is among Modern Healthcare’s 2019 class of Top 25 Emerging Leaders (formerly Up and Comers). Modern Healthcare, the leader in healthcare business news, research and data, annually honors emerging leaders, all age 40 or under, who have made significant contributions in the areas of innovation, financial, operational and clinical excellence early in their careers. “We are very excited to announce this year’s Top 25 Emerging Leaders who are not letting moss grow under their feet. This next generation of healthcare leaders knows that the challenges facing every sector of the industry demand action now. Modern Healthcare’s Top 25 Emerging Leaders bring an entrepreneurial spirit to problem solving,” shared Aurora Aguilar, editor of Modern Healthcare. “We received hundreds of nominations for this year’s class of Emerging Leaders. The final 25 chosen by the editorial staff represent the positive force of change that’s coming to the industry. We applaud them for these executive’s efforts to improve patient care and create efficient and quality-driven teams.” Lehr joined AAMC in 2015 as executive director of analytics and was named chief information officer in 2017. He has responsibility for overall strategy and deployment of electronic information and technology services. READ MORE: Anne Arundel Medical Center named 2019 CHIME Healthcare’s Most Wired recipient He has led in the creation of a new Analytics Department for the organization, overseen the creation of new organizational data science capabilities and the development of an inter-facility architecture to share care alerts across organizations in Maryland. The care alert framework pioneered at AAMC has gone on to become part of the Maryland Health Services and Cost Review Commission’s CEO Checklist for all Maryland hospitals. As stated by Modern Healthcare, Lehr has also been a key figure locally and nationally in the battle against opioids. He co-chairs the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives’ Opioid Task Force, which aims to spread best practices for using technology to stem the crisis. At AAMC, he was a key leader in forming an opioid stewardship committee that helped cut opioid prescribing by 68 percent. This year’s honorees are profiled in the Oct. 14 issue of Modern Healthcare and online at www.modernhealthcare.com/awards/top-25-emerging-leaders-2019.0
- Giving, News & Press Releases, Women's HealthGeneral Page Tier 3BlogIn 1981, Tom Frank moved his family to Anne Arundel County and purchased Shady Oaks Marina in West River, dedicating the next three decades of his life to building the busiest boat dealership in the county. Now retired and living in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, Tom and his wife Nancy wanted to give back, but where and how were the real questions. “It was easier to earn the money than it was to figure out who to give my earnings to—who would use my gift to really make an impact,” says Tom. “There are a number of great institutions to choose from. We felt members of this community helped us build our business here, and our family has received great care at Anne Arundel Medical Center, so we decided we wanted to give back here.” Ultimately, the Frank family presented AAMC’s birth center with a $3 million donation that includes a cash donation and a future estate gift. “Anne Arundel Medical Center’s birth center has meaning to us. Our dear friends had children who received excellent treatment in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit–Teddy’s Place. We are delighted to be able to help AAMC continue to help children in the community. A child with a health problem is the most painful thing to my heart,” says Tom. Their generous donation will help fund services and technologies, such as an expanded neonatal nurse navigator program, a new inpatient maternal-fetal testing site for high-risk obstetrical patients, and other advancements designed to enhance the patient’s and family’s experience. As a result of the Franks’ generosity, the second and third floors of the Clatanoff Pavilion have been renamed The Thomas J. Frank Family Birth Center. “We are extremely grateful for the Frank family gift. As the second-busiest birthing center in Maryland and one that takes care of a large number of high-risk pregnancies, expanding care and services to include the latest in technology and diagnostic testing is essential,” says Henry Sobel, MD, AAMC’s chair of women’s and children’s services. Call the AAMC Foundation at 443-481-4747 or visit the Foundation website to learn how you can help.0
- News & Press Releases, Women's Health, Infectious DiseaseGeneral Page Tier 3BlogToday’s uncertainties with COVID-19 likely raise additional concerns in your mind as you prepare for your labor and delivery. Know that we hear you and so many others who are faced with similar challenges. Here are some of the most frequent questions we are hearing. As you know, things are changing rapidly. Keep checking our website for up-to-date policies and procedures that may apply during your stay with us. We will continue to add to these questions as we work together to explore ways to make your experience a good one despite these extraordinary times. How will the COVID-19 restrictions affect my routine prenatal care? Right now, we advise pregnant mothers to keep their routine appointments. Should this need to change, your provider will notify you. You may receive a call from us before your appointment to screen for any symptoms and exposures or to check your travel history. We will provide advice around these questions and assess whether to have you come to the office or schedule a telehealth visit. Can a support person come with me to my prenatal appointments? We realize that someone may bring you to and from your appointments and we ask that only you come inside the office for your appointment. Please have your support person stay outside of our waiting areas. In our office settings, we want to be mindful of social distancing. More people in our waiting areas makes it difficult to follow social distancing guidelines. The safety of you and your family is our priority. How will COVID-19 restrictions change my birth plan? While every birth plan is different, some of the updates we announced may have an impact on visitation during your stay. Visitors are limited to one consistent support person throughout the duration of your labor, delivery and postpartum care. Rest assured that your support person can be with you in the delivery room and spend the night with you and your baby the entire time you are with us. This policy change protects you and your baby and protects the health and safety of our workforce. Caring for our frontline staff is a high priority so that they can continue to work to deliver our babies and care for our families now and in the weeks ahead. Will I be tested for COVID-19 before my delivery? If you are being admitted for delivery, we have universal COVID-19 testing procedures in place, documented here in English and Spanish. If I test positive, will my baby and I be separated after birth? We are no longer advising separation if the mother tests positive, based on new recommendations and data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and others. You may choose to keep your baby in the room to maximize the benefits of direct newborn care. We ask that mom and baby stay spaced six feet apart and that mom wears a mask and practices good hand hygiene before breastfeeding or other direct newborn care. If you prefer, we can arrange to care for your baby in our NICU to reduce the risk of transmitting COVID-19 to your baby while in the hospital. If mom chooses temporary separation, we will gladly provide a hospital-grade breast pump for breastmilk expression during admission. Does my support person have to be the same person throughout my entire stay? If that initial person leaves, can someone else take their place as the one visitor? We ask that you have the same support person throughout your stay. This person should limit coming and going from the hospital to reduce the chances of exposure. Can my doula accompany me during my stay, along with my support person? Yes, we welcome doulas back into the hospital as part of your care team, along with one family member/support person. Your doula may be present with you through labor and delivery and postpartum. We do not consider doulas visitors. Rather, they are part of the care team. Attending doulas are not interchangeable with an additional family member/support person. One person may be present with patients delivering in an operating room. The support person selected to be present is the choice of the mother. In addition to our general health and safety guidelines around PPE use and hand hygiene, we also ask doulas to check in with the charge nurse upon entry to the unit and provide identification, a copy of their formal patient agreement and their doula certification. How long will these restrictions be in place? We cannot determine when we will lift restrictions until COVID-19 infection rates decline. There are many experts looking at our nation’s infection rates to understand when we might begin to experience a decline in COVID-19 cases. We will continue to do what is best to keep you, your baby and our staff safe. Our healthcare providers are ready with knowledge and support. They are resilient. They are not skipping a beat when it comes to caring for our patients and families safely. While these are extraordinary times, we are dedicated to continuing our compassionate care for new life, for our mothers, for our families and for each other. Originally published March 23, 2020. Last updated Sept. 22, 2020.0
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