New Help for Couples

Achieving natural pregnancy for women by treating male infertility

Many people do not realize that male reproductive problems account for about 20 percent of all infertility cases. What’s more, in an additional 30 percent of cases it’s a combined male/female issue. Between 15 and 20 percent of couples are diagnosed with infertility when they are unable to conceive a baby after one year of unprotected intercourse.

According to Dr. Ash Kshirsagar, a urologist on Sentara Potomac Hospital’s medical staff and director of Male Infertility at Potomac Urology, identifying and treating male infertility take the burden off many women who may unknowingly undergo unnecessary, painful and very costly fertility treatments.

“Common fertility problems in men such as underlying blood flow problems, obstruction in the reproductive tubes, and side effects from medications can be treated fairly easily and can give couples a great chance at natural pregnancy,” explains Dr. Kshirsagar. “This is excellent news for women who may mistakenly assume that they need to undergo fertility treatment when they have problems conceiving a baby.”

Dr. Kshirsagar is the only physician in the area who is fellowship-trained in male infertility and microscopic surgery, which he uses at Sentara Potomac Hospital to treat male infertility problems.

“Microsurgery allows me to precisely treat the affected area to allow for better sperm production,” says Dr. Kshirsagar. “We can also use this type of surgery to perform vasectomy reversals. Men who wish to reverse their vasectomy (elective male sterilization that blocks sperm from entering semen) now have a very effective option that can increase their chance of successful reversal to about 90 percent.

“These procedures have provided excellent outcomes for many men and couples,” says Dr. Kshirsagar. “Infertility can be a very trying issue for couples and it’s gratifying to know that we can help these couples reach their dreams of becoming parents.”

Need help finding a doctor? Call our Health Connection at 703-221-2500 or go online.

Sentara Weight Loss Surgery Center Named an Institute of Distinction

Sentara Weight Loss Surgery Center at Potomac Hospital has again been designated as an Institutes of Quality® Bariatric Surgery Facility by Aetna.

Institutes of Quality Bariatric Surgery Facilities are a national network of healthcare facilities that are designated based on measures of clinical performance, access and efficiency for bariatric surgery. Bariatric surgery, also known as weight loss surgery, refers to various surgical procedures to treat people living with morbid or extreme obesity.

Facilities selected for this designation meet the following criteria:
• Have significant experience in bariatric surgery, performing a minimum of 125 procedures a year.
• Have evidence-based and recognized standards for clinical outcomes, processes of care and patient safety.
• Provide ongoing follow-up programs and support for their bariatric surgery patients.
• Adhere to Aetna's standards for member access to the facility and Aetna participating providers.
• Demonstrate efficiency in providing care based on overall cost of care, readmission rates and comprehensiveness of program.

Want to learn more about weight loss surgery at Sentara Potomac Hospital? Come to our upcoming free seminar on Thursday, January 27 at 7:00 p.m. Join a board-certified weight loss surgeon to learn about surgical solutions to weight loss including laparoscopic gastric banding, gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy, and revisional procedures.

To register call our Health Connection at (703) 221-2500 or register online.

About the Weight Loss Surgery Center The Sentara Weight Loss Surgery Center at Potomac Hospital provides a full range of bariatric surgery care services, including inpatient care, post-operative care, outpatient follow-up and patient education and has been named a Center of Excellence by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS). The ASMBS Center of Excellence designation recognizes surgical programs with a demonstrated track record of excellent outcomes in bariatric surgery.

Who's Number One? You May be Surprised

By Maureen Deutermann, R.N., MSN
Director of Community Education

I will never forget a women’s health program the hospital sponsored several years ago. The topic was breast cancer, and the mood in the packed hospital auditorium was somber, the anxiety almost palpable. The participants were there to increase their knowledge about a life threatening disease, which is many women’s secret nightmare.

However, the opening statement of the keynote speaker, a cancer research physician, surprised us. It went something like this: “I know all of you are here because you are worried about dying from breast cancer. But to be honest, I must tell you that most of the women in this room will die of heart disease.” I can’t say the audience breathed any easier with this piece of info, but I’m sure it served as an eye-opener for many participants, myself included.

If you think heart disease is a “man’s disease,” consider these facts:

- Heart disease remains the No.1 killer of women age 20 and over.

- More women die of cardiovascular disease than the next four causes of death combined, including all forms of cancer.

- By comparison, while 1 in 30 American women die of breast cancer, 1 in 3 die of cardiovascular disease.

- 90% of women have one or more risk factors for heart disease.

- 80% of cardiac events in women could be prevented if women made the right health choices involving diet, exercise, and not smoking!

So there’s the bad news…or maybe it’s good news, if we use it to take an active role in our health. Want to beat your odds against heart disease? Know your personal risk factors for heart disease and modify the ones you can control (this works for men too, by the way!). Here are the major risk factors you can control:

If you smoke, STOP! Smoking is the most preventable cause of death in this country. Women who both smoke and use birth control pills are playing with a lethal combination.

High blood cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease. Women’s cholesterol climbs higher than men’s after the age of 55. Know your numbers and keep cholesterol levels in line by following a low saturated fat diet. Medication may be necessary if lifestyle measures aren’t successful.

Want to stop smoking? Come to Nicotine Anonymous at Sentara Potomac Hospital. This is an anonymous, caring and non-judgemental support group that meets every Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. in the Hylton Education Center, Room H. Parking is located behind the hospital. There is no charge to attend, and no registration required. For more information, please call 703-670-1328.

Sentara Potomac Hospital Podiatrist Sings with Sole

Dr. Arnold Levin, a podiatrist on Sentara Potomac Hospital's medical staff, was featured in Sunday's Washington Post Magazine. Read about his passion for writing and singing children's folk songs.

Free Weight Loss Surgery Seminars

Get a jump on the New Year! Join a board-certified weight loss surgeon to learn about surgical solutions to weight loss including laparoscopic gastric banding, gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy, and revisional procedures.

These free seminars will be held on Thursday, January 13 and 27, from 7:00 to 9:30 p.m., in the Hylton Education Center at Sentara Potomac Hospital.

To register call our Health Connection at (703) 221-2500 or register online.

Sentara Potomac Hospital is designated a Center of Excellence by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. The ASMBS Center of Excellence designation recognizes surgical programs with a demonstrated track record of excellent outcomes in bariatric surgery.

Visit PotomacHospital.com for more information.

Marion Wall Receives the 2010 Matthew F. McNulty, Jr. Award

Longtime Sentara Potomac Hospital board member Marion Wall (center) was accompanied by (l to r) Andy Stephenson, Ken Krakaur, and Megan Perry of Sentara; Bill Moss of Potomac Health Foundation; and Howard Greenhouse, former Potomac board member, to the Healthcare Council of the National Capital Region’s CEO & Trustee Luncheon in Greenbelt, Maryland, where he received the Matthew F. McNulty, Jr. Award. Far right is Joe Burns, CEO & President of the Healthcare Council.

The Matthew F. McNulty, Jr. Award was created by the Executive Committee of the Healthcare Council of the National Capital Area to annually honor an outstanding healthcare leader. The award recognizes significant contributions to the region's healthcare field and is the Council’s highest award. Marion Wall received the 2010 award in December at the CEO & Trustee Luncheon.
Marion M. Wall joined the Potomac Hospital Board of Trustees in 1974 and was elected Chairman in 1988. He continued as Chairman until 1997 and then served as Chairman of the Potomac Hospital Foundation Board of Directors from 1997 – 2009.

Currently, he serves as Chairman of the Potomac Health Foundation, which provides grants to local organizations to better meet the growing healthcare needs of our community. He now also represents Sentara Potomac Hospital on the Sentara Healthcare Board of Directors.