What Makes Us Different is Our Approach to Vaginal Surgery

Smiling Woman after vaginal surgery

Vaginal surgery expertise comes from years of experience and an approach to each surgery with the eye of an artist. Dr. Veronikis has mentored by Dr. David Nichols, the premier vaginal surgeon and champion for women’s health who wrote the book on Vaginal Surgery.  His focus on creating the ultimate surgical experience for each patient maximizing the patient outcome in one vaginal surgery – comprehensive reconstruction. What makes Dr. Veronikis different from other surgeons is that he not only has the unique training in vaginal surgeries; but he performs over 800 successful major reconstructive surgeries each year.  His reputation for success and surgical expertise speaks for itself.

The surgical modality Dr. Veronikis choose for a patient’s condition varies upon the needs of the patient and is guided by the pursuit of the most non-invasive methods. Most commonly, this approach is vaginal, which allows the fastest recovery time and no incisions at all on the abdomen. Unfortunately, vaginal surgery has decreased in training programs across the country because of struggles to create exposure and to visualize the anatomy when operating in the vagina. Dr. Veronikis remains one of an elete few who have mastered vaginal surgery, and has even created an extensive set of unique surgical instrumentation for which he holds several patents.  These instruments are key in helping him visualize and operate within spaces and structures that other surgeons cannot within the vagina. Additionally, the patients report less pain and discomfort with his unique retraction system.

Recognized as a Leader in Vaginal Surgery

Dr. Veronikis has presented educational training videos on the surgical principles of exposure, instrumentation, retraction, and other methods that facilitate vaginal surgery at several local, regional, and national meetings, including the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) Annual Clinical Meeting and the Society for Gynecologic Surgeons (SGS). He is frequently asked to present Grand Rounds and educational seminars on their standardized surgical techniques and successful outcomes to other attending physicians, residents, and medical students.

As more and more data becomes available regarding the disadvantages of robotic hysterectomy, more training programs and institutions have become interested in restablishing his educational opportunities for vaginal hysterectomy and surgery. Although Dr. Veronikis is trained robotic surgery, he was the first in the state of Missouri to perform a robotic sacrocolpopexy in 2003.  He found no advantage to use of the robot as opposed to the least invasive utilization of vaginal surgery with actually improved outcomes when operating vaginally. This is in agreement with several papers in the literature and with statements from the governing leaders of ACOG that vaginal hysterectomy is the modality to utilize in cases of benign disease. Dr. Veronikis is an advocate for his patient’s best interests to educate them on the data and science and help to explain the marketing and industry influences; this counseling provides patients the most unbiased view.

“Do it once, do it right” – this is the motto that Dr. Veronikis has as the foundation of his practice. With nearly 50% of his patients presenting with persistent or recurrent symptoms after prior operations, his practice sees the effects that repetitive surgeries have on the vaginal function and structure in addition to the emotional and financial strain on the patient.

From prolapse to mesh complications and fistulas to vaginal agenesis, the most complicated and detailed gynecologic pelvic surgeries are encountered and treated by Dr. Veronikis each day. His training, reputation, and successful outcomes offer patients the opportunity to have the least invasive of pelvic surgery to treat their symptoms. This practice is where surgical art meets science.