OB/GYN Archives - Medical Update

OB/GYN Update

TRUCLEAR 5C System Expands Office Hysteroscopy Treatment Options

Mar. 14, 2017

Over the last several decades, significant progress in both technique and instrumentation has turned hysteroscopy into a common outpatient procedure for treatment, as well as diagnosis.1 Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center has offered outpatient hysteroscopy for seven years, and recently acquired a more advanced type of instrumentation, the TRUCLEAR 5C System. The […]

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New Evidence Supports Value of Preconception Weight-Loss for PCOS Patients

Mar. 14, 2017

Until recently, specialists treating obese women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) have lacked research-based evidence to support the theory that weight-loss prior to fertility treatments may improve ovulation and, ultimately, live births. The topic had not been extensively studied, and most advice was from clinicians’ “common knowledge” that weight-loss prior to conception is beneficial. However, […]

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OWL-PCOS Study Weight Loss Protocol

Mar. 14, 2017

The OWL-PCOS study provided physicians with a detailed weight-loss strategy to share with their patients.1 Patients are instructed to take the following action: Orlistat: (available OTC under the brand name Alli) to be taken as recommended + meal replacements contributing to a hypocaloric diet (~1200kcal/d) + lifestyle modification. To ensure adequate vitamin effects, take a […]

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Groundbreaking Research Advances Women’s Health

Mar. 14, 2017

Research programs in maternal-fetal medicine, reproductive endocrinology, gynecologic oncology, female reproductive endocrinology and minimally-invasive gynecologic surgery at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center continue to advance the understanding of women’s health and garner placement in peer-reviewed clinical journals. This new knowledge translates from bench-to-bedside into improved diagnosis, treatment and prevention. Reduction in the […]

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Novel Research Rotation Prepares Future Researchers and Clinicians

Mar. 14, 2017

While many institutions have a general research requirement for residents, few have formally defined it. Beginning in 2016, however, all Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center OBGYN residents are required to complete an officially sanctioned rotation on a self-developed research question. This rotation is overseen by Timothy Deimling, MD, director of resident research […]

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Endometriosis Tissue Bank to Identify Key Biomarkers for the Disease

May. 10, 2016

Timothy Deimling, M.D., Obstetrics and Gynecology, is in the final stages of obtaining institutional review board approval to launch a prospective database and tissue bank for endometriosis research. The primary purpose is to identify biomarkers for less invasive diagnosis, in addition to identifying targets for treatment of endometriosis. “Most women with pelvic pain and infertility […]

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Routine Identification of Placental Umbilical Cord Insertion Location during Detailed Fetal Anatomic Ultrasound

May. 10, 2016

Velamentous cord insertion (VCI) occurs more commonly in pregnancies involving twins, and in women who are older who have undergone in vitro fertilization (IVF) and who may be associated with a higher risk for fetal growth restriction. “With VCI, there is a higher risk for a poor birth outcome, such as pre-term delivery, low birth […]

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Lynch Syndrome Screening is Routine in Women with New Endometrial Cancer Diagnosis, Regardless of Age

May. 10, 2016

Lynch syndrome, often called hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC), is an autosomal dominant mutation affecting the mismatch repair system that leads to nearly 80 percent of affected individuals developing one or more types of cancer during their lifetime. In women, the most frequently observed cancers are colorectal, endometrial and ovarian. Two to 3 percent of […]

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Improving Quality of Care Using a Small Systems Approach

Jan. 15, 2016

At tertiary hospitals around the world, a team-centered systems approach has evolved to help physicians provide more evidence-based care to improve patient outcomes. A major challenge toward implementing systems change is the sheer size and scope of any such organization. Using a unique alternative approach, Penn State Hershey Obstetrics and Gynecology has begun two quality […]

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New Study Explores Pre-Treatment Lifestyle Modification for Obese Women with Unexplained Infertility

Jan. 8, 2016

Obesity in women is associated with a negative impact on ovulation, delayed time to conception, increased pregnancy loss, and an increased risk of serious adverse maternal pregnancy and neonatal outcomes.1 A new randomized controlled trial recently began enrolling patients, aimed at evaluating the impact of two varying 16-week lifestyle modification interventions (see chart) on the […]

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The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology is an educational, research and health care center that provides a wide variety of general women’s health care; gynecologic care; infertility, prenatal and genetic counseling; obstetrics care; women’s gynecologic cancer care; and research education in women’s health.

Department stats:

Approximately 78,000 outpatient visits a year
More than 2,000 deliveries a year
More than 30 obstetrician-gynecologists on staff
Six divisions, offering care at five locations in central Pennsylvania
One of only four programs in the United States that provides live telesurgery partnerships for educational outreach