Northwest Ohio Center for Urogynecology and Women's Health

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Titles: what they mean about your care

Gynecologic Surgeon

Dr. Andrew Croak

That's an Obstetrician / Gynecologist who is also a surgeon specialized in the care of problems unique to women.

Dr. Croak has extensive medical and surgical expertise in addressing:

- abnormal vaginal bleeding
- breast health
- cervical disease
- colposcopy
- endometriosis
- infertility
- menopause
- osteoporosis
- sexual dysfunction
- tubal ligation reversal
- uterine fibroids

To learn more: www.acog.com

Urogynecologist

Dr. Andrew Croak

That is a Obstetrician / Gynecologist who also specializes in complex problems women have with their pelvic floor. To be qualified as a Urogynecologist, Dr. Croak completed an intensive 3 year fellowship at the respected Mayo Clinic. He also holds a Master's Degree in Biomedical Science for Urogynecology. Dr. Croak brings a rare and valuable specialty to the Toledo area. There are less than 700 fellowship-trained urogynecologists in the country.

Many gynecologists may offer incontinence and prolapse surgery, but few are fellowship trained.

His expertise addresses:

-advanced laparoscopic surgery
-advanced vaginal surgery
-cosmesis of the gentalia
-difficulty emptying bladder
-interstitial cystitis
-mullerian anomalies
-overactive bladder
-pelvic pain
-pelvic prolapse
-urinary or fecal incontinence

To learn more: www.augs.org


Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.)

The letters D.O. after Dr. Croak's name indicates he is a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine. Osteopathic physicians receive extra special training in the utilizing the treatment of the musculoskeletal system to diagnose disease. This gives a D.O. a therapeutic advantage emphasizing the "whole person." By combining standard medical procedures with osteopathic medicine, they offer one of the most comprehensive health care approaches available today.

To learn more: www.aoa-net.org

D.O. OB / GYN

That is a D.O. nationally certified in obstetrics and gynecology. Dr. Croak earned this distinction through years of rigorous training. Fours years of medical school, a one year internship, plus four more years of obstetrics and gynecology. To maintain this certification, he trains continually in order to accrue a required number of educational credits yearly.

To learn more: www.acoog.com

Women's Health Nurse Practitioner

Tracey Begley and Deborah Higgins

A W.H.N.P. is a registered nurse (R.N.) who is also a trained specialist in women's health care. A W.H.N.P. can test, diagnose, and treat many of the sexual, reproductive, and urogynecologic concerns previously only dealt with by physicians.

Studies have proven nurse practitioners to be effective clinicians, valued by patients for their sensitivity. As for being patient educators, they spend the time necessary to fully clarify your questions.

As a W.H.N.P., Nurse Begley and Nurse Higgins are qualified to serve the common health needs of women from adolescence through menopause:

- breast health
- cervical dysplasia
- colposcopy
- contraceptive counseling
- health and wellness
- hormones / alternatives
- menopause
- osteoporosis
- pregnancy testing
- sexual dysfunction
- STD screening
- urogynecology

To learn more: www.npwh.org
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Staff Awards and Publications

Dr. Andrew Croak

   Awards

First Place Poster Presentation. Transvaginal tape lysis for urinary obstruction after tension free vaginal tape placement. 2003 ACOOG Annual Conference.

Master's Degree in Biomedical Sciences for Urogynecology. Questionnaire Based Characterization of Urinary Incontinence. Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medicine. 2007.

Publications

Croak, Croak J, Xanthakos D, Van Steenwyk K. Pelvic Splenosis. Female Patient 1999; 24: 24-31. Non-funded.

Croak A. The Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine Core OB/GYN Student Manual. April 2000. Non-funded.

Croak A, Klingele C, Gebhart J, Lee R. A review of counseling and treatment for female patients diagnosed with vaginal urogenital anomalies. Journal of American Osteopathic Association's Ohio Research and Clinical Review 2002; 13:6-13. Non-funded.


Croak A. Predominance of serotype V and frequency of erythromycin resistance in streptococcus agalactaie. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 2003; 188: 1148-1150. Department of Biomedical Sciences Research and Scholarly Advancement Program. Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine; Grandview/Southview Hospitals. Funded through Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine Department of Microbiology.

Croak A, Schulte, Peron S, Klingele C, Gebhart J, Lee R. Transvaginal tape lysis for urinary obstruction after tension free vaginal tape placement. Journal of Urology 2003: 169: 2238-2241. Non-funded.

Croak A, Gebhart J, Lee R. The female patient with vaginal müllerian agenesis: A review of diagnoses and treatment. Journal of Reproductive Medicine 2003; 48:395-401. Non-funded.

Klingele C, Gebhart J, Croak A, DiMarco C, Lesnick T, Lee R. McIndoe procedure for vaginal agenesis: long-term outcome and effect on quality of life. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 2003; 189: 1569-1573. Non-funded.

Klingele C, Bharucha A, Fletcher J, Gebhart J, Croak A, Riederer S, et al. Pelvic floor prolapse in defecatory disorders: a comparison of physical examination to dynamic magnetic resonance imaging. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 2004. Supported in part by USPHS NIH grants RO1 HD 38666 and HD 41129.

Croak A, Gebhart J, Lee R. Vaginal evisceration: a review of the Mayo experience. Obstetrics and Gynecology 2004; 103: 572-576. Funded through the Mayo Foundation and Department of OB/GYN.

Croak A, Schulte V, Peron S, Klingele C, Gebhart J, Lee R. Needle tip control and its effect in reducing intraoperative complications during tension-free vaginal tape placement. International Urogynecology Journal and Pelvic Floor Dysfunction 2004; 15: 138-144. Non-funded.

Croak A, Gebhart J. Congenital anomalies of the female urogenital tract. Fellows Lecture Series. Journal of Pelvic Medicine and Surgery. 2005; 11(4): 165-181. Non-funded.

Bharucha, A. Croak A, Gebhart J, Berglund L. Comparison of Rectoanal Axial Forces in Healthy and Functional Defecatory Dysfunction. The American Journal of Physiology- Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology. (2006), p. 00487.2005v1.
Occhino J, Croak A, Gebhart J. A 31 year-old woman with urethral duplication, stress incontinence, uterovaginal prolapse, and rectal prolapse. International Urogynecology Journal and Pelvic Floor Dysfunction 2009; October issue online.