BackTable Women's Health

BackTable Inc.

The go-to podcast for OBGYNs, gynecologic surgeons, and healthcare professionals focused on women's health. Tune in every week for practical, physician-led conversations on common and complex clinical topics in women's health. Hear how experienced physicians approach real cases, and get practical advice from your peers in your field.

  1. 4d ago

    Ep. 133 Advances in Endometriosis: Diagnosis & Management with Dr. Hugh Taylor

    Advances in endometriosis research are reshaping how clinicians diagnose, understand, and treat this complex multisystem condition. On this episode of BackTable Women’s Health, Dr. Nicole Faulkner welcomes Dr. Hugh Taylor for an in-depth discussion of the systemic nature of endometriosis, including its metabolic, psychological, and cardiovascular effects, as well as central pain sensitization and bowel and bladder symptoms. They also explore how animal models and biomarkers like microRNAs are deepening our understanding of these connections. --- Get the BackTable apphttps://www.backtable.com/app --- Timestamps 00:00 - Introduction03:26 - Endometriosis Beyond the Pelvis05:17 - Understanding Systemic Symptoms10:35 - Why Diagnosis Takes Years12:54 - Key Clues to Endometriosis14:35 - Emerging Noninvasive Diagnostics18:13 - Pain Versus Disease Stage19:33 - Precision Medicine Approaches24:04 - Treatment Strategies and Follow-Up27:17 - GnRH Antagonists and Add-Back Therapy29:45 - Danazol and Surgical Options34:26 - Future of Immune-Based Therapies37:49 - Fertility Counseling and Egg Freezing40:17 - Wrap-Up and Key Takeaways --- More about this episode Given that many patients wait years for a diagnosis, Dr. Taylor emphasizes the importance of presumptive clinical diagnosis and selective imaging to expedite treatment. He highlights emerging biomarkers that may offer more noninvasive diagnostic options and help clarify pain mechanisms. The conversation reviews current management strategies, including continuous oral contraceptives, the challenge of progestin resistance, and the promise of blood-based tests to predict treatment response. They also discuss GnRH antagonists, Danazol, surgery for refractory cases, and future directions such as immune-based therapies targeting the inflammation and immune dysfunction at the root of endometriosis. --- ResourcesClinical evaluation of the oral gonadotropin-releasing hormone-antagonist elagolix for the management of endometriosis-associated pain: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31434540/ Circulating microRNAs as potential biomarkers for endometriosis: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25772772/ ---BackTable Women's Health is the go-to podcast for gynecologists, gynecologic surgeons, and other healthcare professionals focused on women’s health. Download the free BackTable app to get early access to new episodes, cases, and courses curated by physicians in your specialty. ► https://www.backtable.com/app

  2. Sep 1

    Ep. 132 Gynecologic Cancer Surveillance: Best Practices & Updates with Dr. Ritu Salani

    Does catching cancer earlier with surveillance always translate to better outcomes for gynecologic cancer patients? On this episode of BackTable Women’s Health, hosts Dr. Mona Guo and Dr. Marcia Ciccone interview Dr. Ritu Salani, Professor of OBGYN at UCLA and lead author of the updated SGO surveillance clinical practice statements. They discuss how post–curative-intent surveillance has evolved amid limited prospective evidence, review the latest guidelines, and highlight the real-world challenges of balancing early detection, patient safety, and cost. --- Get the BackTable apphttps://www.backtable.com/app --- Timestamps 00:00 - Introduction03:05 - Evolving Guidelines and Consensus10:02 - Lead-Time Bias and Cost Considerations12:05 - Maintenance Therapy and Surveillance Nuances14:44 - Ovarian and Endometrial Cancer: Imaging vs Exam20:24 - Key Takeaways from the TOTEM Trial24:04 - Future Tools, Lifestyle Counseling, and Shared Care27:21 - Cytology, HPV Testing, and Post-Radiation Surveillance31:13 - Hormone Therapy Considerations34:37 - ctDNA and MRD Testing37:39 - Emerging Technologies and Limitations43:22 - Rapid Fire Takeaways45:33 - Closing Thoughts --- More about this episode The conversation explores practice variability, the lack of clear survival benefits from routine imaging and tumor markers, and the risks of cascade testing and lead-time bias. Dr. Salani reviews the TOTEM trial data for endometrial cancer, the importance of symptom review and pelvic exams (especially for lower genital tract cancers), and the reduced role of cytology, even in cervical cancer after radiation. They also discuss shared-care models, lifestyle counseling, hormone therapy considerations, and the promise and limitations of emerging technologies like ctDNA and MRD testing during maintenance therapy. --- Resources TOTEM Trialhttps://ascopubs.org/doi/abs/10.1200/jco.22.00471 2010 Ovarian Cancer CA-125 Trialhttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20888993/ Society of Gynecologic Oncology Clinical Practice Statement on Surveillancehttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41308226/ --- BackTable Women's Health is the go-to podcast for gynecologists, gynecologic surgeons, and other healthcare professionals focused on women’s health. Download the free BackTable app to get early access to new episodes, cases, and courses curated by physicians in your specialty. ► https://www.backtable.com/app

  3. Aug 25

    Ep. 131 Cliteracy for Clinicians: A Clinical Guide to Sexual Health & Clitoral Anatomy with Dr. Christine Vaccaro

    Are we addressing sexual health in clinical practice? On this episode of BackTable Women’s Health, host Dr. Nicole Faulkner is joined by Dr. Christine Vaccaro, a double board-certified urogynecologist and sexual medicine specialist, to discuss the evaluation and care of women’s sexual health concerns. They highlight the importance of open conversations, patient empowerment, and a multidisciplinary approach to support well-being and improve quality of life. --- Get the BackTable apphttps://www.backtable.com/app --- Timestamps 00:00 - Introduction04:01 - What Is Sexual Medicine07:58 - Understanding Libido, Arousal, and GSM15:54 - Clinic Visit Structure and Patient Counseling19:17 - Clitoral Exam, Adhesions, and Anatomy Education28:17 - Addressing Stigma, Patient Education, and Myths32:03 - Tools for Patient Empowerment: Apps and Self-Examination39:55 - In-Office Procedures, Pain Mapping, and Hormonal Considerations46:37 - Managing Complex Cases and Multidisciplinary Collaboration53:47 - Closing Remarks --- More about this episode The conversation explores practical strategies for evaluating and managing issues such as libido, arousal, orgasm, and sexual pain, with a focus on genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) and clitoral anatomy. Dr. Vaccaro shares her approach to assessing clitoral adhesions, pelvic pain, and hormonal changes, as well as effective ways to educate patients about anatomy and self-examination. They discuss the importance of reducing stigma, addressing misconceptions, and using a multidisciplinary approach to improve patient outcomes. The episode also highlights the role of clinician training, patient-centered counseling, and collaborative care in supporting women’s sexual health across the lifespan. --- Resources International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health: https://www.isswsh.org/ Female Orgasmic Disorder: Current Understanding and Clinical Management: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42314165/ OMGyes: https://www.omgyes.com/join You Are Not Broken by Dr. Kelly Casperson: https://kellycaspersonmd.com/you-are-not-broken-book/ Retrospective Study of the Prevalence and Risk Factors of Clitoral Adhesions: Women's Health Providers Should Routinely Examine the Glans Clitoris - https://academic.oup.com/smoa/article/6/2/115/6956478?login=false Clitoral Adhesiolysis: Technique and Patient Selection - https://www.vjsm.info/videos/all/clitoral-adhesiolysis-technique-and-patient-selection Female Orgasmic Disorder: Current Understanding and Clinical Management - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42314165/ --- BackTable Women's Health is the go-to podcast for gynecologists, gynecologic surgeons, and other healthcare professionals focused on women’s health. Download the free BackTable app to get early access to new episodes, cases, and courses curated by physicians in your specialty. ► https://www.backtable.com/app

  4. Aug 18

    Ep. 130 Recurrent UTI: Diagnostics & Management Strategies with Dr. Glenn Werneburg

    What should you do differently when a UTI becomes a recurring problem? In this episode of the Backtable Podcast, host Dr. Anjali Kapur is joined by physician-scientist Dr. Glenn Werneburg to discuss the latest approaches to recurrent urinary tract infections, including key updates from the 2025 AUA, CUA, and SUFU guidelines. They use real clinical cases to explore diagnosis, prevention, antibiotic selection, and the management of complex patients. --- Get the BackTable apphttps://www.backtable.com/app --- Timestamps 00:00 - Introduction04:05 - Case One: Recurrent UTIs05:19 - Workup Basics08:50 - Non-Antibiotic Prevention11:42 - Antibiotic Prophylaxis Options15:16 - Case Two: Asymptomatic Bacteriuria 19:14 - Case Three: Complex Patients19:58 - Male vs. Female UTIs21:22 - Neurogenic Bladder Workup22:52 - Elderly Patients and ID Consults25:01 - Case Four: Transplant ESBL25:23 - Machine Learning for Antibiotics 29:49 - Catheter Biofilms31:55 - Embedded Bladder Reservoirs35:23 - Recurrent UTI Vaccine36:23 - Future of Recurrent UTIs39:04 - Wrap Up --- More about this episode The doctors define recurrent UTI and outline the standard workup, including history, physical and pelvic exam, urinalysis, urine culture, and antibiotic sensitivities. They also review occasions where additional testing may be warranted. The discussion covers interpretation of urinalysis, non-antibiotic prevention options, and antibiotic prophylaxis strategies, with consideration of antibiotic resistance and microbiome disruption. They address asymptomatic bacteriuria and when treatment is indicated, along with management considerations for men, patients with neurogenic bladder or CIC, and elderly patients. Dr. Werneburg also discusses his work with machine learning tools to predict antibiotic susceptibility earlier, catheter biofilms, the concept of embedded bladder bacteria reservoirs, and his multidisciplinary complex UTI clinic. --- Resources Recurrent Uncomplicated Urinary Tract Infections in Women: AUA/CUA/SUFU Guideline (2025)https://www.auanet.org/guidelines-and-quality/guidelines/recurrent-uti --- BackTable Women's Health is the go-to podcast for gynecologists, gynecologic surgeons, and other healthcare professionals focused on women’s health. Download the free BackTable app to get early access to new episodes, cases, and courses curated by physicians in your specialty. ► https://www.backtable.com/app

  5. Aug 11

    Ep. 129 Clinical Hypnotherapy Applications in Women's Health with Dr. Sonia Gupte

    Have you ever wondered what role the mind could play in treating women’s health conditions? On this episode of BackTable Women’s Health, host Dr. Nicole Faulkner interviews Dr. Sonia Gupte, a family medicine physician and board-certified clinical hypnotherapist, about how clinical hypnotherapy can help patients access the subconscious, resolve emotional barriers, and rewire patterns that affect both body and mind. Dr. Gupte discusses the use of hypnotherapy for a range of women’s health concerns including PMS, postpartum depression, hot flashes, infertility, and chronic pelvic pain, highlighting the potential for more holistic care. --- Get the BackTable apphttps://www.backtable.com/app --- Timestamps 00:00 - Introduction 04:40 - Discovering Hypnotherapy08:59 - What a Session Looks Like13:02 - Remote Sessions and Results17:27 - Follow-Up and Maintenance20:13 - Women's Health Examples28:05 - Talking to Patients30:47 - Hypnosis vs. Therapy33:07 - Pap Smear Trauma Case37:28 - Breathwork Reset Tool42:42 - Uncovering Repressed Trauma46:17 - Burnout and Stress49:12 - Barriers to Success53:21 - Call To Action54:58 - Live Demo Plans55:50 - Closing Remarks --- More about this episode Dr. Gupte shares how her mother’s experience with cancer, depression, and a suicide attempt inspired her to explore hypnotherapy and ultimately bring it into her medical practice. She describes what a typical hypnotherapy session involves, including relaxation, guided visualization, identifying emotional roots, and using protocols to help patients “reboot” their mental patterns. The discussion also covers practical aspects of integrating hypnotherapy into women’s health care, such as determining treatment frequency, offering remote sessions, setting patient expectations, and addressing common barriers to success. --- Resources Within: Finding Yourself, Fixing What's Broken, & Finally Reclaiming True Health https://enso-nia.com/about-sonia/ --- BackTable Women's Health is the go-to podcast for gynecologists, gynecologic surgeons, and other healthcare professionals focused on women’s health. Download the free BackTable app to get early access to new episodes, cases, and courses curated by physicians in your specialty. ► https://www.backtable.com/app

  6. Aug 4

    Ep. 128 Integrating OB Hospitalists in High-Risk Maternity Care with Dr. Katie Fung-Yip

    Every OBGYN, whether in the hospital or community, may face a high-acuity obstetric emergency. On this episode of BackTable Women’s Health, Dr. Nicole Faulkner interviews OB hospitalist Dr. Katie Fung-Yip to explore the evolving role of OB hospitalists and the obstetric emergency department (OB ED) in managing critical situations. They discuss how in-hospital coverage, multidisciplinary teamwork, and dedicated triage protocols can improve emergency response and patient outcomes. --- Get the BackTable apphttps://www.backtable.com/app --- Timestamps00:00 - Introduction02:42 - Breaking Down OB Roles06:01 - MFM and Hospitalist Collaboration07:35 - Inside the OB ED12:31 - High Stakes Emergencies Overview18:02 - Amniotic Fluid Embolism21:33 - Cardiac Arrest Pearls and Drills24:44 - Team Leadership Under Pressure29:19 - Emotions Debrief and Bonding37:48 - Simulation Practice and Mentorship 40:18 - Early Career Fit and Support 43:10 - Wrap Up --- More about this episodeDr. Fung-Yip explains how the hospitalist role differs from community OBGYNs, emphasizing the value of continuous in-hospital coverage for urgent and high-risk cases. She describes the spectrum of care, from routine pregnancies to complex emergencies requiring collaboration among hospitalists, maternal-fetal medicine specialists, and multidisciplinary teams. The discussion covers OB ED operations, the Maternal Fetal Triage Index, hospital design for rapid response, and review of critical emergencies such as postpartum hemorrhage and amniotic fluid embolism. Dr. Fung-Yip highlights how these events can escalate to maternal cardiac arrest, requiring immediate ACLS, team coordination, and sometimes resuscitative hysterotomy. She stresses that preparedness depends on ongoing education, simulation, mentorship, debriefing, and strong teamwork. --- ResourcesMaternal Fetal Triage Index (MFTI)https://www.awhonn.org/education/hospital-products/maternal-fetal-triage-index-mfti/ --- BackTable Women's Health is the go-to podcast for gynecologists, gynecologic surgeons, and other healthcare professionals focused on women’s health. Download the free BackTable app to get early access to new episodes, cases, and courses curated by physicians in your specialty.► https://www.backtable.com/app

  7. Jul 28

    Ep. 127 Approaches to Menopause and Hormone Therapy with Dr. James Simon

    Hormones aren't the problem. Misunderstanding them is. On this episode of BackTable Women’s Health, Dr. Karen Toubi sits down with Dr. James Simon to discuss menopause, sexual medicine, and his career journey from early IVF research to treating aging women. They also unpack his Green Journal paper with Dr. Barbara Levy, challenging common misconceptions about hormone therapy and explaining why treatment should be individualized because not all estrogens and progestogens are the same. --- Get the BackTable apphttps://www.backtable.com/app --- Timestamps 00:00 - Introduction03:11 - Why Menopause Medicine07:51 - Hormone Therapy Paper11:48 - Counseling Perimenopause16:14 - Unopposed Estrogen Strategy23:01 - IUDs And Progesterone26:54 - Estrogen Types Explained34:59 - Thrombosis Risk Approach43:11 - Oral Estrogen Use Cases44:48 - Breast Cancer Risk Counseling46:49 - Estrogen Risk Myth48:11 - Pregnancy and Breast Cancer50:09 - Counseling BRCA Patients53:26 - Duavee: Who Benefits?55:32 - Bazedoxifene Access Limits57:47 - Ospemifene for Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause (GSM)01:00:37 - Dryness Explained01:02:41 - Thrombosis Risk Screening01:05:01 - UTIs and Vaginal Estrogen01:07:18 - Starting HRT After 6001:12:47 - Window of Opportunity01:14:46 - Staying on HRT01:16:43 - Blood Levels and Absorption01:20:13 - Clinician Takeaways --- More about this episode The conversation explores strategies for managing perimenopause, including when hormonal contraception is the best option and when symptom-focused hormone therapy may be more appropriate. They cover practical guidance on using transdermal estradiol, Mirena and Liletta for contraception and endometrial protection, and how thrombosis risk differs depending on the type and route of hormone therapy. The episode wraps up with a discussion on newer treatments for genitourinary syndrome of menopause, when to consider hormone therapy, and why clinical experience is so important in menopause care. --- Resources A Contemporary View of Menopausal Hormone Therapy https://journals.lww.com/greenjournal/abstract/10.1097/aog.0000000000005553~a-contemporary-view-of-menopausal-hormone-therapy?redirectionsource=fulltextview --- BackTable Women's Health is the go-to podcast for gynecologists, gynecologic surgeons, and other healthcare professionals focused on women’s health. Download the free BackTable app to get early access to new episodes, cases, and courses curated by physicians in your specialty. ► https://www.backtable.com/app

  8. Jul 21

    Ep. 126 Personalized IVF: Optimizing Outcomes in Advanced Maternal Age & Low AMH with Dr. Jennifer Makarov

    The standard infertility timeline does not apply to every patient. When should infertility counseling begin, and when is it risky to wait? OBGYN Dr. Nicole Faulkner and REI specialist Dr. Jennifer Kulp Makarov discuss how age, irregular cycles, endometriosis, recurrent pregnancy loss, and male factor infertility should shape counseling and referral decisions on this week’s episode of the BackTable Women’s Health. --- Get the BackTable apphttps://www.backtable.com/app --- Timestamps 00:00 - Introduction02:37 - Launching a New Practice04:23 - When to Refer Patients06:23 - Basic Infertility Workup08:39 - Counseling Patients Over 4014:05 - Personalized IVF Protocols17:59 - Embryology and PGT-A23:54 - Egg Preservation Timing28:20 - Using Frozen Embryos Later31:36 - Components of Personalized IVF33:30 - Patient Experience and Education37:25 - Alternative Fertility Options40:46 - Approaching Recurrent Miscarriage42:28 - Key Takeaways --- More about this episode Dr. Kulp Makarov reviews when patients should be referred to an REI based on age, while emphasizing that earlier referral is appropriate for patients with irregular cycles, endometriosis, recurrent pregnancy loss, or known male factor infertility. Although anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) testing can be a useful initial assessment, it should not delay specialist evaluation. The discussion also explores how advances in reproductive medicine have expanded fertility treatment options. Dr. Kulp Makarov highlights personalized IVF protocols, embryo banking, and preimplantation genetic testing, while emphasizing both the benefits and limitations of these approaches. She also shares practical guidance on egg freezing, pregnancy in the mid-40s, and when donor eggs, gestational carriers, or other fertility treatment options may be appropriate. Finally, she explains how REIs approach the evaluation and management of recurrent pregnancy loss. --- BackTable Women's Health is the go-to podcast for gynecologists, gynecologic surgeons, and other healthcare professionals focused on women’s health. Download the free BackTable app to get early access to new episodes, cases, and courses curated by physicians in your specialty. ► https://www.backtable.com/app

4.9
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The go-to podcast for OBGYNs, gynecologic surgeons, and healthcare professionals focused on women's health. Tune in every week for practical, physician-led conversations on common and complex clinical topics in women's health. Hear how experienced physicians approach real cases, and get practical advice from your peers in your field.

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