Dr. Vijaya Durga Karthik is the consultant Gynaecologist and Obstetrician at Elizabeth Mother Children Hospital.consultant in the Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics. She talks to S10 on areas of expertise that are dear to her, with a focus on wholistic women’s wellness and non-invasive management of gynaecological problems.

Lifestyle related diseases are on the rise and among them is an increase in the cases of infertility or the inability of couples to conceive naturally. What is your approach to these cases?

I am of the belief that healthcare and ObGyn in particular has to be approached from a wholistic and preventive perspective. When we say care; it includes the mental, physical and emotional well-being of a patient therefore we want health seekers to know why prevention is better than cure. Instead of waiting for a complication to arise we work together and screen women well in advance to eliminate the rise of medical problems like- regular counselling to combat stress, screening for cancer, testing for thyroid etc. Of course, all of these measures cannot be completed at one time, so our plan is to have this done in stages or steps, so that the patient has ample time to process all of this and it also turns out to economically feasible for the consumer.

This means your primary focus at Elizabeth Mother Children Hospital is preventive care for women.

Preventive medicine is the need of our country and the delayed adoption of this is why we are still a developing nation; though I do see this trend changing for the better. While more people are reading about various conditions and illnesses, they are yet to understand or work on the causes of it- they often wait for a problem to occur and only then they visit us. This is the attitude that I wish to change.

A girl needs to be aware of her health from the time of menarche at 12-13 years. If she is given the right medical advice early on, then dealing with life in general becomes less stressful in the body and mind.

What are the aspects that strike you most when you consult women on their fertility issues?

I start with the basics. Many times there is no fertility problem; it is just that the couple have not had intercourse correctly. This comes from several factors and the key factor is lack of being familiar of one’s body, its functions and its requirements. So in our sessions with the patient we take through all the factors that contribute to allowing conception to happen naturally. Genetics, frequency of sex, the need to enjoy sex and understand one’s partner are some of the focuses.

We carry out tests only after we have clinically established that there is a problem which calls for medical intervention.

We have very advanced technology and equipment now for all kinds of gynaecological and fertility related problems in women, and there are several people choosing these methods.

It is true that science in India has advanced tremendously and it is a fact that infertility too is on the rise here. What I want to emphasize on is the fact that invasive medicine must only be resorted to in extreme cases. The need for a team to delve into the causes from a non-medical management perspective is a necessity. Be it a fibroid or infertility; the fact is, a larger number of cases are treatable without invasive methods. For e.g. if a woman has been advised a hysterectomy, she must be explained about the uterus; its functions, the process of the surgery, and what she will undergo thereafter. Also do not hesitate to take a second opinion.

Comprehensive evaluation is the most necessary and yes; it important to go with the decision that your doctor advises.Dr. Vijaya Durga Karthik is the consultant Gynaecologist and Obstetrician at Elizabeth Mother Children Hospital.consultant in the Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics. She talks to S10 on areas of expertise that are dear to her, with a focus on wholistic women’s wellness and non-invasive management of gynaecological problems.

Lifestyle related diseases are on the rise and among them is an increase in the cases of infertility or the inability of couples to conceive naturally. What is your approach to these cases?

I am of the belief that healthcare and ObGyn in particular has to be approached from a wholistic and preventive perspective. When we say care; it includes the mental, physical and emotional wellbeing of a patient therefore we want health seekers to know why prevention is better than cure. Instead of waiting for a complication to arise we work together and screen women well in advance to eliminate the rise of medical problems like- regular counselling to combat stress, screening for cancer, testing for thyroid etc. Of course, all of these measures cannot be completed at one time, so our plan is to have this done in stages or steps, so that the patient has ample time to process all of this and it also turns out to economically feasible for the consumer.

This means your primary focus at Elizabeth Mother Children Hospital is preventive care for women.

Preventive medicine is the need of our country and the delayed adoption of this is why we are still a developing nation; though I do see this trend changing for the better. While more people are reading about various conditions and illnesses, they are yet to understand or work on the causes of it- they often wait for a problem to occur and only then they visit us. This is the attitude that I wish to change.

A girl needs to be aware of her health from the time of menarche at 12-13 years. If she is given the right medical advice early on, then dealing with life in general becomes less stressful in the body and mind.

What are the aspects that strike you most when you consult women on their fertility issues?

I start with the basics. Many times there is no fertility problem; it is just that the couple have not had intercourse correctly. This comes from several factors and the key factor is lack of being familiar of one’s body, its functions and its requirements. So in our sessions with the patient we take through all the factors that contribute to allowing conception to happen naturally. Genetics, frequency of sex, the need to enjoy sex and understand one’s partner are some of the focuses.

We carry out tests only after we have clinically established that there is a problem which calls for medical intervention.

We have very advanced technology and equipment now for all kinds of gynaecological and fertility related problems in women, and there are several people choosing these methods.

It is true that science in India has advanced tremendously and it is a fact that infertility too is on the rise here. What I want to emphasize on is the fact that invasive medicine must only be resorted to in extreme cases. The need for a team to delve into the causes from a non-medical management perspective is a necessity. Be it a fibroid or infertility; the fact is, a larger number of cases are treatable without invasive methods. For e.g. if a woman has been advised a hysterectomy, she must be explained about the uterus; its functions, the process of the surgery, and what she will undergo thereafter. Also do not hesitate to take a second opinion.

Comprehensive evaluation is the most necessary and yes; it important to go with the decision that your doctor advises.