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Obstetrics & Gynaecology

Gynaecology and obstetrics are the two major medical specialities that focus on the female reproductive system. Obstetrics deals with the well-being of pregnant women, their related procedure and complications, while gynaecology treats women who are not pregnant.

Obstetrics is a specific branch of medicine associated with surgical and medical care before, during, and after delivery. Obstetrics mainly focus on taking care and maintaining the overall health of women during maternity.

This includes the following:

OB-GYNs may conduct office visits, perform surgeries, and assist with labour and delivery. Some OB-GYNs offer services through private or solo practices. This specific branch of medicine involves screening and treating medical issues related to women’s breasts. Gynaecology represents the comprehensive reproductive care a woman receives during her lifetime.

What is Meant by Obstetricians & Gynaecologists Speciality?

The term OB-GYN refers to doctors who deal with both obstetrics and gynaecology.

An obstetrician-gynaecologist (OB-GYN) has expertise in women’s reproductive health, childbirth, and pregnancy. A wide range of general health services and other preventative screenings are provided by some OB-GYNs, while others focus on the medical care of women’s reproductive health.

When Should You Consult Obstetricians and Gynaecologists?

Consult an ob-gyn specialist if you are experiencing symptoms such as menstrual irregularities, painful cramps, vaginal itching, urine abnormalities, yeast infections and more. Healthy women are recommended to undergo a yearly protective checkup even if they do not experience any reproductive health issues. During your visits, the doctor may conduct basic immunisations, evaluations, or laboratory tests for diseases. Your age group helps doctors examine which tests to perform. 

Roles and Responsibilities of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists

Gynaecologists and obstetricians use a wide range of medical and surgical procedures. The gynaecological process includes the following steps:

• Laparoscopy: detection and removal of infections and cysts from the ovaries and fallopian tubes.
• Cone biopsies: removal of all unhealthy cells from the cervix to prevent cervical cancer.
• Hysterectomy: removal of the uterus.
• Gynaecologists involve smear testing programs designed to diagnose cervical cancer and are available on the NHS for women above 25 years of age.
• The obstetric process involves the following steps.
• Caesarean section (C-section): surgical excision of a baby from the womb to avoid labour complications.
• Cervical sutures: use of tape to strengthen the cervix of a woman to prevent miscarriages.

Obstetricians also test foetuses for disorders such as Down syndrome using ultrasound and other techniques such as chorionic villus sampling. Obstetricians and gynaecologists work closely with nurses, midwives, and other medical specialists. Medical specialists, such as endocrinologists, deal with hormone production, and urologists treat all bladder problems.

What Conditions do Obstetricians and Gynaecologists Treat?

OB-GYNs check and treat a wide range of medical conditions, and health, age and reproductive goals are some of the factors.

The conditions that obstetricians and gynaecologists treat are as follows:

• Infertility and pelvic pain
• Urinary incontinence
• Breast disorders
• Abnormal bleeding
• Hormonal disorders and genital itching
• Endometriosis
• Vaginal infections or urinary tract

Types of Processes Followed by Obstetricians and Gynaecologists

Obstetricians and gynaecologists both deal with the overall well-being of women, whereas obstetricians mainly deal with pregnant women.

Some functions and procedures obstetricians and gynaecologists perform include:

• Natural delivery: Obstetricians work very closely with midwives and nurses to manage and assist in the smooth process of natural delivery. 
• Simplified delivery by performing an episiotomy, which includes allocating strategic cuts over the perineum of pregnant women to expand the birth canal.
• Prolonged labour may require help to speed up the procedure to reduce fetal distress and maternal fatigue. Vacuum-assisted delivery and forceps delivery are the two techniques followed.
• C-sections or caesarean sections need surgical removal of a baby from the mother’s womb to curtail labour complications. These labour complications may cause damage to the newborn unless delivery is accelerated with a caesarean section.
• Appropriate detection and treatment of ectopic pregnancy are important because it appears when the compost ovum is embedded in a different place other than the womb. Generally, it is implanted in fallopian tubes.
• There is a major risk of rupture of a fallopian tube as the foetus grows, and can be life-threatening. Obstetricians diagnose and remove such pregnancies before they can cause harm.

Where to Find Obstetricians and Gynaecologists?

If you cannot find any OB-GYN, you can consult the best obstetricians and gynaecologists online using the Apollo 24|7 app or website.