At last, here is a user-friendly guide to gynecologic surgery. The authors' guiding principle is that each woman for whom any kind of surgery is recommended should be well informed about the indications, the risks, and the expected results.

Using anecdotes drawn from a combined fifty years of experience, doctors Moore and de Costa provide clear and accurate information about women's anatomy, physiology, common gynecological ailments, diagnosis, alternative treatments, and, finally, full details about surgery itself. Among the surgeries discussed are removal of the uterus (hysterectomy), removal of the ovaries (oophorectomy), and removal of fibroids. The various ways of performing these procedures are examined, including minimally invasive surgery done through the laparoscope.

The authors also help the patient through the post-operative phase, revealing what to expect, how to make the recovery easier, and how to take care of yourself after the surgery. The result is a book that empowers women as they weigh their options with regard to gynecologic surgery.

Every year, millions of healthy women undergo a variety of screening tests without understanding why or the meaning of the outcome. If you are among those women, overwhelmed by information and baffled by results, this is the book you've been waiting for. In straightforward, personable prose, A Woman's Concise Guide to Common Medical Tests surveys a wide variety of standard tests commonly suggested by doctors.

Using the recommendations of the U.S. Preventative Health Services Task Force as a starting point, physicians Michele C. Moore and Caroline M. de Costa describe and explain screening tests for STDs and other communicable diseases, diabetes, thyroid disease, bone loss, various genetic tests, pregnancy, and cancer (including breast, colon, and skin). A section on common blood tests demystifies the numerical results that can be virtually impossible to interpret for women outside the medical profession. The authors detail what is considered "normal" as well as what's not-to help women make sense of their results.

As practicing physicians, both authors have fielded patients' questions about standard screening tests and understand what women should know but often feel afraid to ask about. For each test, there is an explanation of why it may be ordered, how it is done, what sort of preparation may be involved, and what risks may be incurred.

As the health-care industry continues to evolve, the amount of medical information available to women about their health can be overwhelming and confusing. Without being encyclopedic or intimidating, A Woman's Concise Guide to Common Medical Tests offers all the facts you need about screening tests, all in one place.