Dr. Heegaard voted one of Top Doctors for Women 2009

The Minnesota Monthly 2009 "Top Doctors for Women" has included Dr. Heegaard as one of the Top OB-GYN's for women.

Anterior Vaginal Wall Pain and Endometriosis

There is an interesting study in the most recent Journal of Reproductive Medicine. The author evaluated women with unexplained infertility. He found that, if they had vaginal pain during the examination in the anterior vagina (under the bladder) , 78% of these women had endometriosis at the time of laparoscopy. What was also interesting about this study was that, when they were treated laproscopically, 67% of these women went on to have successful pregnancies without the need for advanced reproductive technologies such as IVF. The take home point is this: if you have unexplained infertility consider looking for endometriosis, even if the classic symptoms of painful periods and painful intercourse are absent.

Revolutionary Surgery

The arrival of the DaVinci Robot has added another tool to the treatment options for endometriosis. I have the privilege of being one of only a handful of Minnesota gynecologic surgeons to be credentialed to use the robot. I was the first surgeon at Fairview Southdale Hospital to perform a total laproscopic hysterectomy using this technology and am currently training other surgeons to use the DaVinci robot. I have found the robotic technology to be uniquely suited to the treatment of complex/deep endometriosis. The visualization of endometriosis lesions is phenominal with the 3 demensional scope and the precision with which the implants can be excised is unsurpassed. I truly believe this will transform the surgical treatment of endometriosis.