Lora Liu, MD

PreferredMD patients can often get same day appointments; on average within 24 hours. You can search for real-time availability, in your preferred location, for your Annual Pap Smear / GYN Exam with a Women’s Health Doctor who accepts your insurance and make an appointment online. 

First find the Women’s Health Doctor that best fits your needs for an annual Pap Smear/GYN exam, review their experience, and determine that the location is convenient for you. Then, from that page, upload your insurance information. The Doctor’s office will contact you to verify whether your plan is accepted.

Many plans allow for access to out of network providers for the same out of pocket cost as in network providers.

The well-woman visit is vital for identifying potentially serious conditions that may be in their early stages. Some examples of clinical preventive services include mammograms, screenings for cervical cancer, breast cancer, gestational diabetes and chlamydia for sexually active women under age 25. Others preventive services might include prenatal care, lactation counseling, contraception, pneumococcal vaccination, HPV testing, and reviewing nutrition, vision and dental health.

A bone mineral density (BMD) test measures the amount of calcium and other minerals in an area of your bone. Your bone density is compared to the average BMD of an adult of your sex and race at the age of peak bone mass (age 25 to 30). The result is your T score. A T score of -1 to +1 is considered normal bone density. A T score of -1 to -2.5 indicates osteopenia (low bone density). Bone Mineral Density (BMD) testing should be done in all women 65 years and older. BMD testing is recommended for postmenopausal women younger than 65.

A recent study suggests that women who choose an OB/GYN as their primary care physician may miss out on more-comprehensive care. If you have health conditions such as diabetes, asthma, or heart disease, you may need a primary care physician. PCPs have the expertise to manage and coordinate overall health measures. It is strongly recommended that women have both an annual well-woman exam with their OB/GYN and a complete physical with an Internal Medicine Doctor or General Practitioner.

A short term choice would be a vaginal ring that is changed monthly. Longer term choices include an implant inserted into your arm, or an intrauterine device (IUD) inserted into your uterus. These methods are 99% effective at preventing pregnancy. Tubal ligation is a permanent option for women.

The decision between surgical removal and physician observation of ovarian cysts depends on the location and size of the cyst(s) and the severity of symptoms. Ovarian cyst removal eliminates the risk of material growth, cancer cell infiltration, and rupture. The two main ovarian cyst removal procedures are laparoscopy, which is minimally invasive, and laparotomy, which is open surgery.

Your Gynecologic surgeon may request a medical evaluation by your Primary Care Physician before performing your surgery. A medical clearance is essentially authorization from an evaluating doctor that a patient is cleared, or deemed healthy enough, for a proposed surgery.

A preoperative physical examination is essentially the same thing as getting 'medical clearance. It is performed at the request of a surgeon to ensure that a patient is healthy enough to safely undergo anesthesia and surgery. This evaluation includes a physical examination, cardiac evaluation, lung function assessment, and appropriate laboratory tests.

Your Gynecologic surgeon may require routine laboratory tests before your procedure to identify potential problems that might complicate surgery if not detected and treated in advance. A blood test will show if you have a blood-clotting problem and may be at risk of too much bleeding during surgery. Urinalysis may be used to detect urinary tract infections, renal diseases and poorly controlled diabetes.

The purpose of medical clearance is to assess your personal risk related to undergoing a surgical procedure. If you have comorbidities your surgeon may want another doctor familiar with your medical history to offer perspective on whether the procedure is safe for you and ways to reduce risk.

Your Primary Care Physician is the Doctor who manages your medical care. He/she will provide the appropriate information.

A patient's medical history, physical exam and labs are valid for 30 days. EKG's that are normal are valid for 90 days. These parameters may vary if the patient has comorbidities.

Most gynecologic surgeries do not require an overnight stay. If your health, age and surgical procedure do not require a hospital stay after surgery, an accredited ambulatory surgery center may offer several advantages, including convenience, reduced cost and reduced potential for developing infection.

Fibroids are noncancerous tumors that grow in the uterus. If the fibroid(s) are not causing symptoms no treatment is indicated. If they are causing heavy menstrual bleeding, pelvic pain and/or frequent urination, medication or a minimally invasive surgical procedure such as a hysteroscopic myomectomy can be considered. MRI-guided Ultrasound surgery is also gaining use; high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) pinpoints the fibroid and raises the temperature high enough to destroy it with no damage to surrounding tissue.

Seventy-five percent of all women experience painful sex at some point in their life. It is an issue that is often neglected and not necessarily a consequence of menopause. For most women the problem is temporary. Common causes are dryness, thinning of the vaginal wall, drug side effects, and allergies to clothing or spermicides, as well as inflammation of the uterus, pelvis, vulva, or urinary tract. Anatomic causes of sexual pain can include muscular pain syndromes, uterine abnormalities, and pelvic organ prolapse. Remedies include: water based lubricants, antibiotics, steroid creams, estrogen - either a cream or a pill. In some cases surgery may be required to remove an abnormal growth. For dyspareunia with no apparent physical cause, psychological counseling may be indicated.

Vaginal rejuvenation is a broad term for vaginal corrective treatments. These procedures can be done for cosmetic reasons or to solve age-related problems, such as laxity, atrophy, dyspareunia, and urinary incontinence. Vaginal rejuvenation procedures are also increasing in popularity as after childbirth treatments for many if not all of the same symptoms. Treatment options include injections, creams, surgical, and non-surgical procedures.

Candidates for non-surgical procedures can range from 20 to 60 years old. Women under the age of 20 are considered too young for vaginal rejuvenation procedures, as the body is still developing.

Labiaplasty is a plastic surgery procedure that changes the size or shape of the labia, typically making them smaller or correcting asymmetry. There are two main categories of cosmetic genital surgery: reconstructive which corrects a congenital condition such as intersex or improves body function, and cosmetic which changes the appearance of essentially normal anatomy.

Early or premature menopause occurs when ovaries stop making hormones, and menstruation stops at a younger than usual age. Menopause that happens before age 40 is called Premature Ovarian Failure (POF). Women who have gone through early or premature menopause typically cannot get pregnant. It is very important to have a proper diagnosis. Premature Ovarian Failure (POF) is often misdiagnosed in women who actually have Premature Ovarian Aging (POA). The distinction is crucial for women who want to get pregnant. Patients with POA can get pregnant with their own eggs, even if the condition is severe, with proper support.

Hormone therapy (HT) is a treatment that is used to supplement the body with either estrogen alone or estrogen and progesterone in combination. ET - estrogen-only therapy is prescribed for women without a uterus due to a hysterectomy. EPT means estrogen plus progesterone. Progesterone is used with estrogen to protect women with a uterus against uterine (endometrial) cancer from estrogen alone. Women with a history of cancer may be advised against hormone therapy.

A hysterectomy is a surgery to remove a woman's uterus - fallopian tubes and one or both ovaries may also be removed. All women who have a hysterectomy will stop menstruating. Whether symptoms of menopause start after a hysterectomy depends on whether one or both ovaries were removed. If you keep your ovaries during the hysterectomy, you should not have menopausal symptoms right away. But you may have symptoms a few years younger than the average age for menopause.

Women need Urologists too. Urogynecologists are Urologists with special training in treating conditions involving the female urinary tract, bladder, reproductive system and pelvic floor. They can treat conditions including UTIs, bladder control problems, urinary stones, cancer of the urinary tract and other issues such as pelvic organ prolapse.

Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI) is the involuntary leakage of urine that may occur when coughing, sneezing, lifting, laughing, or exercising. SUI is a common problem for women, affecting one in three over the age of 45. Treatment ranges from conservative measures such as behavioral modifications and pelvic floor muscle training, to devices such as a vaginal pessary and urethral bulking agents. Surgery is only recommended after the cause of incontinence is established. The two most common surgical procedures are the sling and retropubic colposuspension.

Pelvic pain is considered chronic if it has lasted more than six months and is not related to pregnancy. Some causes include endometriosis, uterine fibroids, scar tissue, urinary tract and bowel conditions, or musculoskeletal issues in the pelvis, hips or lower back. Remedies include medication, physical therapy and surgery. Surgery is indicated if the cause of pelvic pain is found to be a growth, cyst or tumor.

Anyone with risk factors for heart disease should be under the care of a cardiologist. Risk factors that can be managed include; high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, healthy BMI, and healthy lifestyle. Risk factors that cannot be managed are age, family history, and previous stroke or myocardial infarction. It is very important to be familiar with the signs and symptoms of stroke and heart attack.

PreferredMD’s online service allows you to filter for Doctors who do Annual Pap Smear / GYN Exams and offer appointments after 5 p.m. Just choose the special hours filter at the top of our search page

PreferredMD’s online service uses a purple video icon on the profiles of Women's Health Doctors who do Annual Pap Smear/GYN exams and offer online video visits. You can filter your search results to show only Women’s Health Doctors who offer video consultations.

Most insurers provide coverage for video visits at the same rate as in-person visits. You can search on PreferredMD specifically for Women’s Health Doctors who do Annual Pap Smear/GYN exams and accept your insurance for video visits. Select your carrier and plan from the drop-down menu at the top of the page to verify. If that information is not available, we recommend you check with your insurance carrier directly to confirm your coverage and out of pocket costs for video visits.

PreferredMD’s online service allows you to search specifically for Women’s Health Doctors who do Annual Pap Smear/GYN exams and have appointments available before 10:00 am, or after 5:00 pm. Just choose the special hours filter at the top of our search page.

PreferredMD’s online service allows you to see real-time availability for Women’s Health Doctors who do Annual Pap Smear / GYN Exams and offer appointments on Saturdays and Sundays. Just choose the special hours filter at the top of our search page.

Now that you’re here, you can use PreferredMD’s free online service to find Women’s Health Doctors and book appointments instantly. You can easily search for an Annual Pap Smear/GYN exam in your desired location and specify your insurance plan. Based on that information, you’ll see a list of Women’s Health Doctors who meet your search criteria, accept your insurance, and their available appointment slots.

PreferredMD’s online service allows you to filter your results by gender for Women’s Health Doctors who do the Annual Pap Smear / GYN Exam. That way, you’ll only see Women’s Health Doctors who match your preferences

You can use PreferredMD’s online service to find Women’s Health Doctors who do Annual Pap Smear/GYN exams and are highly rated by real patients. Every time a patient completes an appointment booked on PreferredMD, they are invited to review their experience. All ratings are based on verified reviews submitted by real patients. Each review must comply with PreferredMD’s guidelines.