A new program at Florida Hospital Orlando teaches advanced minimally invasive gynecologic surgical techniques for the treatment of advanced benign gynecologic conditions to medical students, residents and fellows.

 

A component of the Florida Hospital Center for Advanced Gynecologic Surgery, Advanced Minimally Invasive Surgery and Gynecology Specialists (AMISGS) joins the existing obstetric-gynecology programs at Florida Hospital's Orlando campus. This particular program places emphasis on advanced laparoscopic and robotic gynecologic surgery techniques, and also provides expertise and training in the diagnosis and treatment of chronic pelvic pain, vulvodynia, bladder dysfunction and pain, and also the evaluation and treatment of menstrual disorders, endometriosis, fibroids, adnexal masses, cervical disorders, pelvic organ prolapse, and menopausal symptoms.

 

Located inside the Florida Hospital Cancer Institute on North Orange Avenue in Orlando, specialized AMISGS clinics are dedicated to patients with chronic pelvic pain and vulvodynia. AMISGS founder and program director Georgine Lamvu, an internationally well-known practitioner, educator and researcher, said the program was developed to benefit gynecologic patients with conditions needing multi-disciplinary care and additional long-term resources in the course of their treatment. 

 

After earning a medical degree from the Duke University School of Medicine, Lamvu completed her OB/GYN residency and a fellowship in advanced laparoscopy and pelvic pain at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. Board-certified in obstetrics and gynecology, Lamvu has expertise in advanced laparoscopic surgical techniques and chronic pelvic pain disorders, and is very active in the research and treatment of female pelvic pain, including vulvodynia, vaginismus, dysparunia, painful bladder syndromes, and pelvic pain from other causes. A member of the American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists (AAGL) and a fellow for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Lamvu has published many peer-reviewed papers, textbook chapters, and has been lead investigator in many research projects focusing on pelvic pain and minimally invasive gynecology. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality recently invited her to serve as a national pelvic pain expert to develop new national evidence-based guidelines for the treatment of chronic pelvic pain, and she is a board member for the International Pelvic Pain Society.

 

The AAGL has accredited the teaching division of AMISGS, a 2-year program accepting one board-certified or board-eligible physician annually. Fellows learn patient care, surgical techniques, and research methodology through extensive didactic coursework. The clinical practice program is designed to develop expert surgeons and clinical research specialists wanting to provide advanced treatment options of gynecology through very specialized and individualized care. The goal, said Lamvu, is to improve health outcomes through compassionate care, advanced technology and education. 

 

Also on staff at AMISGS: Liza Colimon, MD, and Fredrick Hoover, MD.

 

A native of South Bend, Ind., Colimon earned a biochemistry degree from Northwestern University, a medical degree from the University of Illinois College of Medicine, and completed an OB-GYN residency at Harvard's Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Mass. Board-certified in obstetrics and gynecology, she practiced as an associate gynecologist and obstetrician from 2006 to 2009 at the Harvard hospital, where she provided a full spectrum of consultation and gynecologic surgical services. Now an AMISGS fellow, she is pursuing advanced training in gynecologic disorders, minimally invasive and robotic surgery and research methodology.