Services

Text Box: B Edward O’Dell, MD FACOG
J Michael Davidson, MD FACOG
C Dale Lusk, MD FACOG
Paul E Chandler, MD FACOG
Mark A Hucks, MD Text Box: 901 East Cheves Street, Suite 200
Florence, SC 29506
843 662-2299 awc logo

Obstetrics, Gynecology, Infertility and Women’s Health Care

Services

Text Box: Advanced Women’s Care attempts to provide cutting edge care in a compassionate manner. We offer a full range of obstetric and gynecologic services.
We have a special interest in high-risk pregnancies. We are fortunate to work at hospitals who have the ability to care for very premature babies as well as babies who have special needs. McLeod Regional Medical Center has a level III neonatal intensive care unit. This neonatal intensive care unit has some of the best outcome statistics in the state of South Carolina. McLeod Regional Medical Center also employs a maternal fetal specialist whose services we use if necessary. Carolinas Hospital System also provides a level II neonatal intensive care unit which can take care of moderately premature babies.
We perform in-office ultrasounds. We have just acquired a General Electric Voluson 730 Expert giving us the ability to perform 3D/4D ultrasounds. This machine not only has outstanding image quality but can render ultrasound images in three dimensions with movement (see example below). The machine can also perform Doppler flow studies and gives our practice state of the art ultrasound imaging capability. We offer gender ultrasounds (determining a pre-born baby’s sex) and 3D/4D ultrasounds when requested (at an additional cost).

                                           Dianne Sneed, Certified Ultrasonagrapher

                                              An example of 3D ultrasound with movement
Our practice is pro-life. We do not perform abortions. It is our opinion that pre-born babies are precious in the sight of God. Their lives need to be protected and nurtured. We do not refer our patients for abortion. We will perform ultrasounds at no charge to women contemplating abortion.
Gynecologic services include performing bone density studies in the office. We have a Dexa Bone Density Xray machine in the office and are ready to diagnose and treat osteoporosis.
We currently perform sterilization procedures using the Essure technique in the office. We now perform these procedures as an outpatient in the hospital. Essure procedures are performed without incisions by placing microinserts into the fallopian tubes via the vagina by placing a hysteroscope into the uterus, visualizing the fallopian tube opening and placing the microinserts into the tubes. The procedure can be performed under local anesthesia with minimal sedation. These procedures are performed using a video camera and video monitors attached to the hysteroscope. For more information about the Essure procedure, please visit the Essure web site at www.Essure.com. We are the only practice in the area currently performing this procedure. Women can literally be back to work within 24-48 hours of the procedure.

        A Close-up view of the Essure microinsert.    The Essure microinsert is small flexable and soft.

We offer a full range of contraceptive options. We are offering Implanon, an implant placed in the arm providing contraception for 3 years. This device is a single rod as opposed to Norplant with 6 implants. Implanon is estrogen free and avoids estrogen side effects like nausea and headaches. The device is placed under local anesthesia in the office. Call or make an appointment for more information. This device is covered by several insurance plans including Blue Cross and Blue Shield and Medicaid.
We also perform saline infusion sonography. This ultrasound procedure allows us to visualize the endometrial cavity to help determine causes for heavy vaginal bleeding. This allows us to target very accurately the best techniques for controlling vaginal bleeding. These procedures can be performed with minimal discomfort and provide very accurate diagnoses so that the appropriate treatments can be provided in a timely fashion.
Infertility is a very complicated gynecologic problem. We provide the initial evaluation and treatment of infertility problems. We are then able to refer our patients to infertility physicians for advanced reproductive techniques. We do perform some infertility surgeries as well.
Our physicians attempt to remain on the cutting edge of gynecologic surgery. These surgeries include the procedures for pelvic floor relaxation problems including stress urinary incontinence. Procedures performed are minimally invasive and are very successful in alleviating pelvic floor relaxation problems. We employ some of the newer mesh techniques to prevent surgical failures. We perform minimally invasive laparoscopy and hysteroscopy and endometrial ablation, reducing the need for hysterectomy.
We are now performing in office endometrial ablation procedures using a combination of sedation and local anesthesia. We use the Novasure procedure. This technique can assist women who are having very heavy menstrual flow or irregular vaginal bleeding without incisions and with short recovery times many times avoiding hysterectomy. The result with Novasure include a 50-70% chance of completely eliminating menstrual cycles (amenorrhea). 95% of patients are satisfied with the procedure and would recommend the procedure to a friend. Greater than 90% of women experience either no periods or a reduction in vaginal bleeding. This procedure destroys the lining of the uterus (endometrium). The endometrium is responsible for menstrual cycles. The procedure is safe and is usually permanent. Many women are back to work in just a few days as compared to weeks with minimally invasive hysterectomies
We perform colposcopy and perform pap smears using a liquid based pap smear. We currently use the SurePath collection method for more accurate diagnosis and treatment of abnormal pap smears than conventional pap smears. With a conventional pap smear, cells are collected from the cervix and vagina and placed directly on a microscope slide. This technique can cause the slide to be too thick or too thin and contain blood, mucus, and inflammatory cells limiting the ability to detect precancerous and cancerous pap smears. With SurePath, the cells are collected and placed in ethanol. The cells are then processed removing blood, mucus, and inflammatory cells and a microscope slide is made with a more uniform thickness. This technique reduces unsatisfactory smears and can increase detection of precancerous lesions. Although every slide is screened by a cytotechnologist, the slide is also reviewed by a computer based imaging system to help find any abnormal cells.
We perform LEEP or LEETZ procedures in the office. This procedure treats precancerous cells of the cervix, is safe, and effective. This can usually be done with just local anesthesia with minimal down time.
We are now offering Gardasil, a vaccine against Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). HPV causes genital warts and precancerous cell and cancerous cell involving the cervix, vaginal, vulva, and anus. This vaccine can prevent up to 70% of cervical cancers. Gardasil provides protection reliably for HPV types 6, 11, 16, and 18. It does not provide protection from other types of HPV viruses. Gardasil does not provide protection against other sexually transmitted diseases. The vaccine can be given to women ages 9 through 26. The vaccine requires three injections (shots) with injection number 2 being given two months after the initial injection and number 3 being given 6 months after the initial injection. Since the vaccine is new, check with your insurance company or talk with us about insurance coverage.

843 662-2299