Disorders of the cervix, vagina and vulva are very common. Screening for cervical cancer with Pap tests and HPV testing and treating common vulvar and vaginal complaints such as bacterial vaginosis and yeast infections are a routine part of any gynecology practice. However there are times when you need an expert. Over 30 years of clinical practice Dr. Spitzer has developed a national and international reputation as an expert in the evaluation and management of diseases of the cervix, vagina and vulva. He accepts referrals of patients from all over New York, New Jersey and Connecticut for evaluation and management of difficult, chronic and recurrent cervical disease, chronic vaginitis, chronic vulvar itching, burning and pain and women who have pain with intercourse. In 2012, Dr. Spitzer founded the Center for Colposcopy in New Hyde Park, Long Island, New York to expand his availability to a greater number of women with these conditions. The Center for Colposcopy is one of only a handful that specializes exclusively in disorders of the cervix, vagina and vulva.
When a woman is told that she has an abnormal Pap test, it is not uncommon for her to be very fearful and apprehensive and to rush into treatment. Unfortunately, while most abnormal Pap tests require evaluation in the form of colposcopy, not all cervical disease requires treatment. Furthermore, while treatment will often cure the condition, the treatment itself may also have long-term consequences. This is why treatment guidelines differ for women based on their age, number of children and their desire for future fertility. Also, in some cases, abnormal Pap tests, HPV tests or cervical dysplasia do not go away or come back over long periods of time. These can become a source of frustration and apprehension to both the woman and her doctor who may be concerned that they are missing cancer. Finally, colposcopy itself may sometimes be very difficult to do as a result of pregnancy, menopause, or previous cervical treatment and the referring doctor just needs someone with more experience to evaluate the patient. These patients are all referred to the Center for Colposcopy for evaluation.
Most vaginal discharge and vulvar itching and burning are caused by vaginitis that is easy to treat. In fact anti-yeast medications are available in the drugstore without a prescription. But in some women the symptoms don't respond to treatment or continue to come back despite treatment. The doctor's approach is usually to alternate between treating for a yeast infection or bacterial infection and sometimes both at the same time. In menopausal women, estrogen cream is frequently used. When the symptoms do not go away, the treatment is repeated again and again. The woman may feel she is on an endless roller coaster.Unfortunately, most doctors are not adequately trained in diseases of the vagina and vulva and don't realize that the symptoms can be caused by more than two dozen vaginal and vulvar conditions some of which the doctor may never even have heard of. These include desquamative inflammatory vaginitis, vulvodynia, vulvar vestibulitis, lichen sclerosus, erosive lichen planus, Zoon’s vulvitis, lichen simplex chronicus, genital warts, vulvar atrophy, vaginismus, interstitial cystitis, pelvic floor dysfunction, vulvar dermatitis, vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN) and many others. Even common yeast infections may be resistant to the usual medication and the doctor would not know unless special tests are done. Bacterial vaginosis will continue to recur unless treatment is given that will help restore the good vaginal bacteria.
These women may suffer with genital itching, burning, irritation, rawness, throbbing, swelling and pain during sex for months or years, sometimes bouncing from doctor to doctor in frustration without finding relief. Some even give up,assuming that they will have to live with these symptoms for the rest of their lives. Some give up on sex altogether. Dr. Spitzer is a specialist in vulvovaginal disorders and knows that it does not have to be this way. He opened the Center for Colposcopy In New Hyde Park, Long Island, New York to share his knowledge with the medical community and expand his availability to care for women with these conditions.
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