Vaginoscopy in Practice

A common concern from the inception of in-office surgery is patient comfort. With the use of anesthetic agents, convalescence both in the office setting as well as at home may be extended. Furthermore, the cost of the procedure will be increased, thus affecting overall reimbursement. Finally, most gynecologists are uncomfortable providing even conscious sedation for their patient in the office. Thus, the key to successful transition to surgery in an office setting would be to modify the procedures to minimize pain. Vaginoscopy allows such an approach to both diagnostic and operative hysteroscopy.

I am especially pleased that my associate, Dr. Aarathi Cholkeri-Singh, has agreed to write this edition of the Master Class in Gynecologic Surgery on vaginoscopy. After completing her residency at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital, a large teaching hospital in a Northern suburb of Chicago, Dr. Cholkeri-Singh went on to complete an AAGL/American Society for Reproductive Medicine Fellowship in minimally invasive gynecologic surgery at Harvard Medical School and Brown University hospital affiliates. It was during her training that Dr. Cholkeri-Singh gained experience with in-office vaginoscopy under the watchful eye of noted hysteroscopic guru Dr. Keith Isaacson.

Now the associate director of minimally invasive gynecologic surgery at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital, Dr. Cholkeri-Singh's practice is concentrated on minimally invasive gynecologic surgery and office gynecology. She will be a featured speaker at the AAGL's 38th Global Congress of Minimally Invasive Gynecology this month in Orlando.