Boo! Taking the “Scary!” Out of Outpatient Office Procedures

Halloween is just around the corner, with many people enjoying the reminders of the season – little ones picking out their costumes, putting up decorations, and carving pumpkins.  It’s all in fun, and most of us enjoy a light-hearted scare at this time of year.  However, some women are truly frightened of in office gynecological procedures that could vastly improve their quality of life.  In reality, I believe it’s more fear of the unknown than the actual procedure.

Medicine has progressed leaps and bounds in the last 10 years, even from the time I was in medical school.  This is why I am so passionate about continuing education, and through a love of teaching, imparting my knowledge on advanced gynecological medicine to other physicians all over the country.  New technologies, treatments, and discoveries happen every day, and I want to make sure I know about the ones that can help all my patients live longer, healthier, more vibrant lives.

Because of the progress in gynecological treatments in the last decade, procedures that used to require a hospital stay are now done in a medical office setting.  As a busy mother and wife, I understand that my patients have lives to lead, soccer practice to get to, business meetings to attend, and dance recitals to watch their kids perform.  Sometimes, our own health as women gets pushed to the back burner as we see to everyone else’s needs but our own.  Still, there may be more than just the pull of family and work obligations preventing women from seeking and scheduling a procedure that could improve the quality of their lives.  The fear of pain, recovery time, and complications lead some to just “live with” symptoms that disrupt and inconvenience their lives, like dealing with the hassle of a monthly birth control pill when a family is complete, and constant, heavy bleeding.

Here I hope to demystify a couple of common procedures and take away needless fear regarding them:

Essure Permanent Birth Control

Essure is a permanent sterilization procedure that offers no incisions, no scarring, or hormonal therapy.  There is no need for any anesthetic or actual surgery, and any discomfort (some women report none at all) is very minimal. With Essure, small micro-inserts are placed inside the fallopian tubes by way of the vagina and cervix pathways.  After the procedure, the body’s natural healing process takes over, allowing tissue in the fallopian tubes to heal over the micro-inserts, forming a barrier between sperm and egg.  After 3 months, a special x-ray test will confirm that the procedure was successful and the tubes are blocked.

For more questions and information on Essure, please visit our website:

http://www.dramybrenner.com/services-essure.htm

Thermachoice Endometrial Ablation

One of the most common complaints I hear from my patients is episodes of heavy bleeding.  This potentially embarrassing condition inconveniences every aspect of a woman’s life and inhibits social interaction, an active lifestyle, and even intimacy with a partner.  With Thermachoice, there is no surgery, no downtime, and no scarring.  This very quick procedure is done in the office (average time in only 8 minutes) and no anesthetic or incisions is involved.  First, a mild sedative is given to relax the patient, and a numbing agent is applied to the uterus.  A slender, hand-held catheter is inserted into the uterus through the cervix, and applies controlled heat to destroy the lining of the uterus.  This ends the hassle of monthly periods and any need for feminine protection products.  Child bearing must be complete to consider this procedure.

For more information on Thermachoice, please click on the link below:

http://www.dramybrenner.com/services-thermachoice.htm

I hope everyone enjoys Halloween, taking their little ghouls and goblins trick-or-treating.  When it comes to your health, the only thing to be scared of is not seeking the available help you need to enhance your health and give you a happier, more balanced life.

Happy Halloween!

~Dr. Brenner & Staff

Embracing My Passion for Teaching Patients, Not Just Doctors

One of my areas of expertise as a physician is teaching.  I travel quite a bit to teach other OBGYN doctors the latest innovations in minimally invasive outpatient surgeries.  I enjoy contributing to the well being of women everywhere by sharing my knowledge with their physicians, ensuring they are well equipped to provide their patients the very best care.

In the spirit of that philosophy, I invested in our Patient Education System, available to all my patients to get more information about their concerns in the privacy of the exam room.  

What is a Patient Education System (PES) and how does it work?

Our PES consists of a large screen TV located within our exam rooms, with a corresponding remote.  As you get ready for your appointment, you can access this easy to use system to look up any kind of information regarding women’s health, symptoms, treatments, and prevention right there at your fingertips.  While I always encourage my patients to formulate questions prior to an appointment, the PES may spark additional questions or topics of conversation, to make the most of the time we have together during your exam.

As your physician, I want you to be informed as a patient, as we partner together to reach your goals of vibrant health and balance. 

Here are some pictures of the PES at work:

As with all my patients who have used it, I know you are going to love it!

Our PES is just one way we strive to demonstrate our commitment to the latest technology and tools to make the lives of you, our patients, easier and healthier through education and empowerment.

To your health and well-being,

-Dr. Brenner & Staff

West Chester Chamber Alliance Welcomes My New Practice!

On Sept. 2, 2011, we were welcomed by the West Chester Chamber Alliance into the West Chester business community with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, attended by all my staff as well as Chamber officials.

In addition, we are being featured in this month’s issue of “The Voice”, The Chamber’s magazine.  This article will describe what makes our brand of care entirely unique to the community, and not just another doctor’s office.  Of course, women come from all over the Cincinnati area to our practice, because of our personalized approach to caring for our patients.

Here are some pictures from the event:

We are so excited about being part of the West Chester business renaissance and growth.  In addition, West Chester Hospital, just a few miles from our office, offers world-class medical care to our growing community.

Thanks to all my patients who have made my new practice your home away from home for advanced gynecological and anti-aging treatment and care.

We look forward to helping you stay healthy, happy, and looking and feeling your best!

-Dr. Brenner and Staff

The Reviews Are In! Find Out What My Patients Love Most About My New Practice…

It’s hard to believe we have been open for over a month now.  I am amazed at how beautifully everything has come together due to my dedicated team, a lot of hard work, and meticulous planning.  It goes without saying we had a few hiccups in our journey, but I am so thankful for the realization of this new medical practice because to me, it’s all about you, my treasured patients.  

Here are some of the wonderful things people are saying about us:

• The coziest, warmest office atmosphere.  You may not know this, but I didn’t hire some fancy decorator to come in and design the interior of my office.  I wanted all my patients to feel like they had just walked into my living room, as my honored guest, with warm colors, homey touches, and a fresh cup of hot coffee to greet them.  My office decorating, which I did with some great help from my college roommate and dear friend, was a labor of love that extends from the reception area to each exam and procedure room.  I picked out many of the pieces myself and so many patients have told me how the atmosphere alone has helped set their mind at ease.

•  Our cuddly-soft spa robes.  My patients absolutely love them and comment about them often.

• The most welcoming, concerned, and caring staff.  I handpicked each one of my team members and they all share my vision and commitment to creating the very best gynecological and anti-aging medical practice in Cincinnati.  To us, you are not just a patient.  You are the reason we do what we do, and every person working for me believes in our mission to providing you the best care, with compassion and understanding.

• When you call, we answer!  We have a 2-ring answer goal that we strive to meet every day, so you can talk to a human being, not an automated attendant.

• The most advanced solutions in women's health and youth preservation.  Continuing education is not just a responsibility for me.  I teach physicians all across the country in the latest innovations in minimally invasive gynecological surgery.  I have the most experienced and skilled staff specializing in anti-aging treatments to help you look and feel your best.  Patients love that the best in gynecological care and the best in anti-aging care can be found in one place. 

• We care what you think!  We have survey cards at the ready for you to offer feedback about your experience.  We want to know what we are doing right, or if there is something we can improve on.

Feel free to talk to one of my staff about their professional specialty.  We welcome questions!  Whether you want to know about losing weight with pharmaceutical grade HCG, or spider vein elimination with sclerotherapy, or scientific skincare, we can answer all your questions and then some.  It’s why we are here!

We all look forward to seeing you!

~Dr. Brenner and Staff

Announcing Our Long Anticipated Grand Opening!

You are cordially invited...

To the Grand Opening of Dr. Amy Brenner MD and Associates!

When:  Thursday, July 28, 2011, from 4-8 PM!

Where: Our beautiful, brand new offices located at:

7593 Tylers Place Blvd. Suite 104

West Chester, OH 45069

We will be your gracious hosts, offering you refreshments and delicious snacks as you peruse our offices, meet the staff, and learn all the ways you can look and feel incredible at any age!

If you have been anxious to check out my new practice and see it for yourself, now is your chance.  Not only will you notice all the love and care that has gone into the French country décor, soft personal touches, and the artistic attention to detail, you will also get to meet every member of my welcoming team, learn about their roles, and see all the ways we can help you achieve your very best, beautiful, vibrant self.

Some of the great things you will learn at the Grand Opening:

•           All about the HCG diet and how you can lose a pound a day
•          Skin rejuvenation with micro-dermabrasion
•          Spider vein elimination with sclerotherapy
•           Nutritional profiling and support for optimal health
•          Bio-identical hormones for menopause symptom relief
•           Permanent birth control
•          Advances in minimally invasive gynecological surgery
•          And much more!

Plus, we will have drawings for luxurious, hand-made gift baskets in every room of our office as you make your way through the entire suite.  Simply enter your name to win!

Every person who attends gets a complimentary gift bag filled with goodies and 20% off any aesthetic service!

Please RSVP via Facebook or by calling our office at 513-777-0787 today!  

We can’t wait to see you!

Dr. Brenner and Staff

Labor and Delivery of My New Practice: Joy, a Few Tears, and a Temperamental Printer

Well, we are finally open!  This “labor of love” has at times felt like actual labor, the birthing of a dream, and with the excitement of new beginnings come challenges as well.  To be honest, some were a little painful.  There were so many details going into this new practice, from the office space, to my wonderful staff, to decisions about the direction I wanted to take things, products and services, patient record management, and so on.  Anything truly worthwhile is never achieved easily.  The harder you work for something, the sweeter the reward.  And that’s how I feel about this wonderful new home away from home.

I am so proud of my amazing staff and their unified efforts to bring all the necessary elements together for the best possible patient experience.  Inevitably, though, things are bound to go wrong.  I know I am harder on myself than anyone else, and there really isn’t any such thing as perfection, but when it’s your name on the sign outside, you want everything to be just right.  Here are some of the delightful hiccups we experienced our first full week after opening:

•         Our printer ran out of paper so we couldn’t print patient receipts temporarily
•      The rest of our building is still undergoing remodeling with a lot of dust and debris
•          Our EMR system was experiencing some blips

So, you can see these are minor annoyances, not big problems, but it still irks me a bit that we have to deal with them. On the brighter side, most everything else has gone off without a hitch.  Patients absolutely LOVE the new office and surroundings, especially all of the little luxuries that make it feel like home, such as the coffee bar, cushy couches, and homey atmosphere.  The last thing I wanted my patients to feel like when they entered my practice is a cold, stark room with old magazines, dated décor, worn looking furnishings, and a disinterested staff.  I have to say if there is one thing I absolutely got right, it’s my incredible team.  They aren’t just my support staff; they are women on a mission to provide the very best care to our patients, whether that involves proper management of your medical records, or helping me during a procedure.  I couldn’t have handpicked a finer group of people anywhere.

If you haven’t heard, we would like to show you first hand our amazing new offices and have you come down and meet everybody during our Grand Opening July 28.  More details will follow in next week’s blog.  We can’t wait to see you!

If Momma Isn't Happy, No One is Happy

Raise your glass if you are more pleasant when you are happy with your appearance. Come on, you know you are. I totally admit I will try almost anything that will make me lose five pounds or look five years younger. When I look good, I feel good and my demeanor is dramatically improved. My kids and my hubby love it when I am happy with my appearance - the kids have a fun, happy Mommy and date night is much more fun if I am feeling a little flirty.

What do you think of my crow’s feet? Oh wait, they aren’t there anymore! Botox took care of them and Juvaderm plumped up my lips. Clinical facials make my skin glow, just as it did years ago. Thanks to sclerotherapy my kids have stopped asking me if I have boo boos on my legs.

Although I am a self-proclaimed workout fanatic, working at my current practice, starting my new practice, traveling the country teaching other physicians, being a wife, mother, sister and daughter really cut into my exercise regimens. Doing the hCG diet with several close friends and my sister helped me rapidly lose excess weight while toning and sculpting my body; regular exercise and a healthier menu help me maintain. I love that there is less looking back at me in the mirror!

The women I care for are no different than me. Every woman wants to look and feel her best. It is for this reason I am so excited to offer a full range of aesthetic services at my new office. I wanted to provide a total package of care, working with my patients to keep them healthy on the inside and looking good on the outside. I believe an integral part of feeling good is looking good! Who doesn’t love new makeup and a new outfit? Permanent makeup is one of the few things available in my office that I haven’t had done yet (but you know I will soon!) I love walking into a room and having people ask who the doctor is because I don’t look old enough to be a doctor.

Now THAT makes Momma happy.