Javier Perez, M.D.
Dr. Javier Perez places great value on his family both at home and in the office.
In his personal life, he became the proud father of twins four months ago. Since his wife is a doctor as well, they dedicate the weekends to their babies and make time to walk and jog in the park. Perez’s office family consists of a mix of pregnant and non-pregnant patients. “I like both and I try to be there for them, help them and teach them as much as I can,” said Perez.
For many patients, Perez is a one-stop shop. “A lot of times I serve as a counselor and even though I am the gynecologist, patients see me for everything,” said Perez. Young patients inquire about birth control and Perez talks about the risks and benefits of each method to help them make the best decision. The Gardasil vaccine, which was created for the human papilloma virus to lower the risk of cervical cancer and warts in females, is another hot topic. “In menopause, patients ask about technique to improve their sex life, and I also see a lot of patients with menstrual irregularities, which is heavy cycles,” said Perez. Women are not afraid to ask questions, a development Perez views positively. “The patient nowadays knows a lot more than 30 years ago, which I think is an amazing, big advance.”
Perez stresses the importance of having a strong relationship with an obstetrician/gynecologist and engaging in preconception counseling to prevent birth defects. “Having a baby is not easy,” said Perez. Perez helps women take charge of their health by teaching them how to do a breast exam and how to recognize signs of problems, such as breast lesions or sexually transmitted infections. “Try to use condoms and stay away from high risk behavior,” said Perez. Patients who stay healthy come in for an annual exam. “They are the ones who do the pelvic exam, the Pap smear every one to two years and know what is happening in their body better,” he said.
Women’s bodies undergo changes in time. “As a woman ages and gets closer to menopause, her cycles can be irregular because of the hormonal changes,” said Perez. Bothersome symptoms like night sweats and insomnia can be improved. Advances in the field have helped women live with greater ease. “For heavy cycles, there are new techniques like endometrial ablation, intrauterine devices, robotic surgery and uterine artery embolization,” said Perez. There are also improvements in surgeries for stress incontinence and pelvic prolapse. “Before, usually the doctor was the one who decided and patients had no opinion but nowadays we want the patient to be involved in her treatment and in the decisions.”
Patients should refrain from smoking, maintain a healthy diet and try to exercise three times a week. They should also do their research. “Be careful with the television commercials, especially with drugs for losing weight, because those medications are not FDA-approved and have not been studied in the proper way,” said Perez.
As a busy man himself, Perez practices what he preaches and is thankful he can help people every day. “My grandfather, my mom’s dad, was a veterinarian and since I was young I liked science classes, so I was always between being an obstetrician/gynecologist or a veterinarian,” he said. After his rotation in obstetrics/gynecology, Perez fell in love with the diversity of being able to do office visits, surgeries and ultrasounds all in one week. “Patients are being honest, and I really appreciate that. My job is rewarding.”
-Jamie Lober
ADDRESS:
4000 Bienville Street, Unit B
New Orleans, LA 70119
PHONE:
(504) 252-9488
WEBSITE:
www.crescentcityphysicians.com
BOARD CERTIFICATION:
Obstetrics/gynecology
MEDICAL DEGREE:
Universidad Central del Caribe, Puerto Rico
RESIDENCY:
Louisiana State University
PHILOSPHY:
“I try to help people and try to be happy and try to disperse happiness to my patients, and the most important thing to me is to be responsible with my patients.”
SPECIALTIES:
General obstetrics/gynecology