The Obstetrics/Gynecology Residency Program at Lankenau Hospital offers residents a rigorous, comprehensive curriculum. In the fall of 2004, the Annenberg Conference Center for Medical Education opened at Lankenau Hospital. This state-of-the-art facility houses an auditorium, multiple conference rooms, library, training labs equipped with audio visual/video-conferencing capabilities and serves as the home for the Medical Education department.
 You will receive intensive exposure in the following areas: :

• Family Centered Obstetrics

• Gynecology

• Subspecialty Training:
  • Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility
  • Gynecologic Oncology
  • Maternal Fetal Medicine
  • Urogynecology

Family-Centered Obstetrics

You will have many opportunities to participate in all aspects of Obstetrics. Over 2,100 mothers and 2,200 babies are delivered at Lankenau Hospital each year. A spacious, modern state of the art Neonatal Intensive Care Unit opened in 2007.  When renovations are complete in the Fall of 2008, there will be a new 12-bed antepartum unit, 2 post partum units totaling 28 beds, 10 labor/delivery/recovery rooms, 3 Cesarean rooms, 6 resident/faculty/student on-call rooms, and a physicians' lounge with multiple computer work stations.

Residents participate in the care and management of all private and clinic patients. As a second year resident on the obstetrics service you manage the Delivery Room, supervised by the chief Ob resident. The table below lists the Obstetric procedures in which residents participated for the academic year ending 6/30/08.
Family-centered maternity care is emphasized for the normal parturient. Four perinatologists and seven neonatalogists are on staff to assure 24-hour coverage for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

Obstetrics Statistics

• Mothers Delivered: 2,117
• Babies Delivered: 2,218
• Cesarean Sections: 881

Gynecology

You have many opportunities to participate in gynecological surgery. While the majority of your experience in Gyn surgery takes place at Lankenau, you will also have the opportunity to perform major vaginal surgery at two other local campuses of Main Line Health, Paoli Memorial Hospital (14 miles west of Lankenau) and Riddle Memorial Hospital (13 miles southwest of Lankenau).
Although operating room schedules vary from campus to campus, upper year residents can operate up to four days a week, depending on the service they are covering. The table below lists the surgical procedures in which residents participated for the academic year ending 6/30/08.

Gynecology Statistics

• Major Surgery: 1,099
• Abdominal Hysterectomy: 312
• Laparotomy: 142
• Invasive Cancer: 155
• Vaginal Hysterectomy: 74
• Operative Laparoscopy: 292
• Endocrine/Infertility: 195
• Minor Surgery: 1,612

Subspecialty Training

One resident is assigned to each of the subspecialties within the department.

• Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility:You work exclusively with our four reproductive endocrinologists in the office and the operating room. Laparoscopy and alternative treatment for hysterectomy instruction are particularly strong on the REI service. This is evident by the more than 200 laparotomies performed last year, the great majority of which are myomectomies, as well as the 354 operative laparoscopies. REI lectures occur one on one in the office, and as part of the Friday morning CORE curriculum lectures.
  
  The Center for Reproductive Medicine, under the direction of Michael J. Glassner, MD, is located at the Bryn Mawr Hospital campus. Its embryology and andrology lab received certification with commendation from the College of American Pathologists. Our newest faculty member, John J. Orris, DO, who completed an REI fellowship at the University of Connecticut, is a 2000 graduate of Lankenau's Ob/Gyn residency program. Louis Blasco, MD joined the REI service in 2007.

"Throughout the course of my training and practice I have been acquainted with many training programs. In every case, except Lankenau, the contact between residents and sub-specialists was buffered by fellows. Especially, when it comes to procedures, the presence of fellows means less hands-on experience for the residents. At Lankenau the potential for surgical training is unequalled and, may I say, superior to the training I received at my highly-touted Center City academic program. While you can (and must) read journals after residency to catch up with material that might have been missed in your training, it is nearly impossible to compensate for a lack of surgical experience." -- William H. Pfeffer, MD, Chief, Division of Reproductive Endocrinology

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• Gynecologic Oncology: Experience is gained in radical surgery, radiation techniques, chemotherapy, and the complications inherent in these conditions in the hospital and office settings. Since the program does not have fellows, the residents receive invaluable experience in critical care, and work directly with the oncologists in the O.R. ensuring a first-class surgical experience. Last year, the Gynecologic Oncology service performed 155 surgeries for invasive cancer.
  
  David Holtz, MD, Chief, Division of Gynecologic Oncology, together with Charles J. Dunton, MD and Radhika Gogoi, MD, Phd, take a proactive role in didactic instruction, organizing a monthly oncology didactic conference as well as a monthly oncology slide review with the pathologists.
  

The Division of Gynecologic Oncology offers future residents a diverse and large surgical volume and a wealth of experience with post operative patients. The addition of Dr. Radhika Gogoi along with Dr. Charles Dunton and myself the division will continue its growth. --David Holtz, MD, Chief, Division of Gynecologic Oncology

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• Maternal-Fetal Medicine:Time is divided between the Perinatal Testing Center (PTC) where ultrasound skills are learned and the Antepartum Unit (APU) where high-risk obstetrical patients are managed. Our four perinatologists perform more than 8,000 procedures a year in the PTC at Lankenau. Residents work directly with the ultrasonographers and perinatologists.
  
  Admissions to the APU are the responsibility of the resident on MFM, who works directly with the attending obstetrician.
  
  The Friday CORE curriculum lectures include a presentation each month by the MFM faculty, as well as a bi-weekly high risk chart review with one of the perinatologists, including Nancy S. Roberts, MD; Chairman, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, as well as Andrew Gerson, MD, Chief Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Eric Carlson, DO, and Alan Donnenfeld, MD.

"The Ob/Gyn residency has been one of the things that has made practice at Lankenau Hospital a treasure. The residents are what differentiate our hospital from other community hospitals. The physician education programs and patient care are superior as a result of the presence of the residents." -- Andrew Gerson, MD; Chief, Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine

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• Urogynecology: Marc Toglia, MD, Director of the Continence Program for women at Riddle Memorial Hospital (a Main Line Health facility), is responsible for the residents' education in urinary incontinence and pelvic floor dysfunction. Dr. Toglia lectures throughout the year on pelvic floor anatomy/function and the diagnosis/management of urinary and fecal incontinence as part of the residents' Friday CORE curriculum lectures. PGY #2 residents receive an introduction to urinary incontinence while on their Office Gynecology rotation in the generalists' offices. During PGY #3 and #4, operative experience is gained when assigned to the Gynecology and Urogynecology rotations. While on the Urogynecology service, residents work one-on-one with Dr. Toglia, Chief of Urogynecology and his associate, Matthew Fagan, MD in their offices and receive significant experience in vaginal and urogynecology surgery.
  

"I was delighted when Dr. Roberts asked me to become involved with teaching the residents urogynecology and reconstructive pelvic surgery. I have found the LH residents to be personable, professional and eager to learn. Our teaching program consists of both didactic lectures as well as hands-on training in the urodynamics lab and in the operating room. Additional opportunities exist for the residents to do an elective rotation for further experience and for clinical research." -- Marc Toglia, MD; Chief of Urogynecology