It all begins with a doctor visit.

The key for women to staying healthy is an annual appointment with an obstetrician-gynecologist.

“A good thing about seeing your OB-Gyn annually is that you can learn what is on the horizon; what you can expect in upcoming years,” said Lauren Nolen, MD, who is an obstetrician-gynecologist with the Conway OB-Gyn Clinic. Obstetricians-gynecologists are physicians who focus on the health of women before, during and after child-bearing years, diagnosing and treating conditions of the reproductive system and associated disorders.

Nolen and the other dozen or so OB-Gyns in Conway “get to see women during all stages of their lives.” She added, “We help with family planning through the pregnancy and perimenapausal stage.”

The latter stage often includes numerous changes in mood, sleep patterns, metabolism, energy, and menstrual cycles. “The annual visit helps prepare them for those changes,” said Nolen.

She also prefers to see younger women to “get them established before they have the need for pelvic exams and pap smears.” By following women through various stages of life, OB-Gyns can develop a wellness plan for each individual patient.

 “It is important to see young women before the age of 21 for a host of reasons, including birth control and screening tests,” said Nolen, “and it is in the best interest of the patient to establish care with someone they trust.” One of the first such preventive tests is an annual pap smear at the age of 21.

Another is to receive the Gardasil vaccine to prevent the Human papilloma virus. The vaccine was formerly recommended up to age 24 and the Federal Drug Administration recently approved it up to age 45. “The FDA approval was important because we are seeing more and more insurance companies approving coverage up to age 45,” said Nolen.

Birth Control

“When it comes to birth control, a patient of mine used to say ‘If you are not preventing you’re planning’ and I want women to have children on their own time,” said Nolen, citing the progress that has been made regarding long-acting, reversible contraception (LARCs). “We have better options than in the past. There are a lot of myths out there,” she said, noting that it does not cause infertility. “Complications are incredibly rare and, depending upon the brand, it can last three to six years. The nice thing is that it has a lot of benefits for the menstrual cycle. All women are candidates for it and most are pleased with the results.”

How early should a pregnant woman visit her OB-Gyn?

Generally when women find out, they are four to five weeks pregnant. Most OB-Gyns have the first visit at eight weeks. “If a patient calls early and is having trouble with nausea and vomiting, I have her come in and visit with my nurse (Rachel Rhodes). She is an extension of me,” said Nolen. “We are able to get the lab tests and address any issue that is going on, patient education can begin, and that will make my first official visit with them more productive.” In turn, the patient will have an additional resource. “She is not sitting around sick and won’t have to go the ER because she will have an established OB-Gyn.”

Breast Cancer

When it comes to breast cancer, it is important to know family history. “I get a lot of women who are unclear about what women in their family had what type of female cancer: ovarian or breast cancer. There are some models that can be used to extrapolate a woman’s risk of having breast cancer but you have to have accurate family history. That’s also important for determining whether they are good candidates for genetic testing,” said Nolen. “You might need to be referred to a high risk breast specialist for counseling.”

 Age is also an important factor. “If your aunt had breast cancer, was she 25 or was she 65? Find out and be aware of your family history, so you can take the appropriate measures, which could include early mammograms, breast MRI or high risk counseling.” Early detection continues to be an important factor in surviving breast cancer.

Mammography
Nolen says women prefer 3D Mammography (also called tomosynthesis) because there are fewer call backs and more accurate results. It is generally recommended for women with denser breasts. In Faulkner County, 3D mammography is available only at Conway Regional Medical Center. Nolen recommends that mammography begin at age 40 and continue until a physician says they are no longer necessary.

Colonoscopies

A recent change in American Cancer Society guidelines regarding prostate cancer is that “you get colonoscopies at age 45, and that’s for everyone.”

Nutrition

A number of the medical conditions that challenge women can be attributes to poor eating habits, including gestational diabetes. “Unfortunately we have an obesity epidemic. I send a lot of people to the dietitians at Conway Regional,” she said. “Anybody who wants to talk about age and weight loss medications, I say you need to see them first.”

Unique Specialty

What drew Dr. Nolen to obstetrics and gynecology was the uniqueness of it from any other medical specialty. She especially loves the day-to-day variation from clinic to the operating room to deliveries.

“My favorite kind of day is one where there is a lot of variety. Delivering at least one baby, seeing my patients in the clinic and maybe starting the day off with a surgery,” said Nolen.

What do people forget about OB-Gyns?

“People forget that we do minimally invasive hysterectomies, using the DaVinci robotic surgery equipment and laparoscopes,” she said. “Patients can often go home the same day. Our office also does endometrial ablations to help manage bleeding as well as colposcopies and LEEPs (Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure) which prevent cervical cancer.

She said most obstetrics patients can be cared for in Conway, even at-risk pregnancies. “There are a lot of what might be considered high-risk patients who can still have the majority of prenatal care here and still deliver at Conway Regional,” said Nolen.

Nolen, a Perryville native, is a graduate of UAMS, and has been in practice for the past four years alongside her colleagues at the Conway OB-Gyn Clinic. Lauren and her husband, Chase, have a two-year- old daughter, Greer. She holds a bachelor’s degree from UCA.

(Originally published in Faulkner County Lifestyle magazine)