During your first appointment you will meet your physician in a one-hour consultation. You will review your pelvic pain problem, medical history, surgical history, allergies, and medications. Then you will undergo an examination. This examination will differ, depending upon the specialty of the physician you see.

Any imaging (MRI, CT, X-rays, etc.), electrodiagnostic studies (EMGs, nerve conduction studies, etc.), and other test results will then be reviewed. It is most helpful if you bring the actual films in addition to any radiology reports you may have. In some cases, it is absolutely imperative for your physician to review these items prior to making any decisions about a course of treatment. If you are in doubt whether a particular test you've had previously might be important, bring it along just in case.

For the remainder of your first visit, you will have a discussion of your pelvic pain problem, including diagnosis, the need for further tests if necessary, and treatment options. Patients who require further non-operative management may receive prescriptions for medications, physical therapy, acupuncture, and/or additional testing as required.

Since a multidisciplinary approach to the treatment of chronic pelvic pain is the most successful form of treatment, you will likely receive one or more referrals to other physicians within the Center for Chronic Pelvic Pain for additional evaluation and treatment recommendations.

Patients who require an operation will have a discussion of the risks, benefits, and alternatives of surgery. Once a decision to operate is made, paperwork such as surgery scheduling and consent forms are completed in the office. In some cases patients wish to see what their surgery will look like, including the location and size of the incision(s) as well as the relevant anatomy. Essentially every type of case we perform has undergone an extensive photodocumentation that can be shown to interested patients during their first (or subsequent) visit.