The doctor, Francisco Cabrera Morales, head of the Gynecology and Obstetrics Service at San Roque University Hospitals, has warned of the importance of attending a gynecological consultation as the best way to safeguard women's health. Cabrera assures that “technology will never improve early care and prevention.”
Visit the gynecologist annually It can help detect in time alterations caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), which in the majority of women are asymptomatic, ovarian pathologies or cancers such as breast cancer, indicates the doctor with more than 25 years behind him dedicated to Gynecology and currently has a consultation in Las Palmas, Maspalomas, Vecindario and occasionally in Lanzarote.
Recommended the first review gynecological at the beginning of sexual relations, although Cabrera also advocates that it be when a woman's first period comes and thus educate in gynecological health both to know how her body works in the reproductive aspect and to take preventive measures that include know the different contraceptive methods and sexually transmitted diseases and the recommendation of the HPV vaccine “which will be a fundamental prevention for cervical cancer.” The ideal age to receive this vaccine is estimated between 11 and 14 years, “when the immune system is more effective and there is a greater probability of not having had contact with the virus,” but this does not mean that at an older age it cannot be done. receive this inoculation that can protect up to 90% of cervical cancer, covering up to 9 serotypes of the human papillomavirus family.
As the most frequent pathologies in gynecological consultations, the doctor highlights infectious ones, especially now with the arrival of summer. “Although they are often trivial infections, such as vaginitis or fungal infection, they are very annoying. At older ages, menstrual and pelvic floor disorders, infertility, fibroids, endometriosis and disorders associated with menopause, among others, are common. In this sense, he emphasizes to take into account all those symptoms that are not normal and cause pain, abnormal bleeding, itching or atypical vaginal discharge, to urgently go to the gynecological consultation.
Wide portfolio of services
San Roque University Hospitals offers a wide and varied portfolio of services with an important focus on women's reproductive health services, both for the purposes of pregnancy and infertility, gynecological check-ups and cancer prevention, as well as treatments for menopause and contraception. Likewise, it has cutting-edge technology for the entire surgical arch with minimally invasive surgery.
The support of a multidisciplinary team is another of the fundamental aspects of this service where other specialties that are part of the hospital also intervene. “We are presented with pathologies in which several specialties are involved, such as alterations of the pelvic floor, which would also include the area of Rehabilitation and Urology. That is the great advantage of working in a hospital with many services, where there is a direct relationship with other colleagues, allowing the patient more individualized attention,” says Cabrera.
The Gynecology and Obstetrics service has state-of-the-art ultrasound machines for monitoring pregnancy or diagnosing gynecological pathologies and the surgical capacity to solve any problem.
Prenatal care for pregnant women
For prenatal care of pregnant women, ultrasound machines with 5D technology allow you to see the image of the baby with a precise and real image. Dr. Cabrera recommends that a woman who wants to become pregnant visit the gynecologist first to ensure that the development of the pregnancy is as healthy as possible.
“Rubella is an infection that can greatly affect pregnancy. Sometimes, this disease can pass as a simple flu while during pregnancy it can be quite serious for the baby and produce very serious malformations,” explains the specialist. A prior evaluation would allow us to know if the woman is in an ideal situation to become pregnant and determine if she is protected from this and other infections as well as if there are thyroid problems, anemia and to know the levels of vitamin D, essential in the development of the placenta. Precisely, a study in the south of the island led by Dr. Cabrera revealed that one in three pregnant women had a deficiency in vitamin D, "especially in a place like here where we have more hours of sunshine than in all of Europe."
The consumption of folic acid before pregnancy is another of the gynecologist's recommendations, who considers that the ideal is to start 6 weeks before pregnancy because "it represents an opportunity to prevent malformations in the baby."
Likewise, assessing prevention against COVID-19 is another aspect to take into account, points out Cabrera, who recalls that the Ministry of Health has already recommended the vaccine to pregnant and lactating women.
Personalized and specific treatments for each woman
On the other hand, regarding menstrual disorders with heavy periods, he points out that "the use of contraceptives may be recommended but there are cases in which it is not, since they are just another tool and it depends on the cause of the bleeding and the characteristics of each patient." Likewise, each woman is recommended a type of contraceptive “based on, on the one hand, her health characteristics and, on the other, her preferences.”
Equally important is the specific analysis and treatment for each woman during the menopause period. "It is a process that overwhelms many women and they can present symptoms that little to a lot affect their quality of life... their metabolism changes, it causes joint pain, sleep disorders, etc., so healthy lifestyle habits and certain treatments "They can help a lot to improve the state of health," concludes Dr. Cabrera.