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100 maconmagazine.com | DECEMBER/JANUARY 2023 SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION 2023 Live We ATLANTA FIBROID CENTER JOHN LIPMAN, MD, FSIR | FOUNDER & MEDICAL DIRECTOR 3670 HIGHLANDS PKWY, SMYRNA | 688 WALNUT ST., STE. 201, MACON (762) 550-2113 | IG: dr_lipman | ATLii.com PICTURED ABOVE: R. Mitchell Ermentrout, MD, a fellow "Fibroid Fighter," and John Lipman, MD, FSIR. WHAT IS THE MISSION OF YOUR BUSINESS? The mission of the Atlanta Fibroid Center is to provide exemplary, first- class treatment for women suffering with symptomatic uterine fibroids. HOW DOES YOUR BUSINESS SERVE OUR COMMUNITY WITH INCLUSIVITY IN MIND? Our practice serves women, particularly African American women, who disproportionately suffer with uterine fibroids. We have been recognized a number of times for our philanthropic endeavors. Earlier this month, I received a Lifetime Achievement Award from AmeriCorps signed by President Biden. HOW DOES YOUR BUSINESS IMPROVE LIVES? We perform an outpatient, nonsurgical procedure called Uterine Fibroid Embolization (UFE). It completely replaces hysterectomy for women suffering with symptomatic uterine fibroids. WHAT ARE YOU MOST EXCITED ABOUT AS YOUR BUSINESS MOVES INTO A NEW YEAR? We see a lot of patients from Central and Southern Georgia. To address this, we have started seeing patients in an office in Macon. It has been very well received, and we hope this will continue to grow and allow us the opportunity to have a full-time presence to better serve these communities. WHAT IS A MYTH THAT YOU WISH PEOPLE WOULD GET OVER? WHAT IS THE ANTIDOTE? One of many myths regarding uterine fibroids is if you're suffering with uterine fibroids and not interested in fertility, you don't need your uterus anymore. This is a myth. For these women, hysterectomy should be a last resort option and not a first and only option, as is the typical scenario. Hysterectomy can have a profound negative impact on a woman. It can affect them psychologically, like a man being castrated. WHAT ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS MAKES YOU PROUD? We have saved roughly 10,000 women from losing their uterus and gave them their life back without surgery. A number of these women were told that they would never be able to have children, and after UFE, they were able to. We have bulletin boards full of these baby pictures, and it is a source of great pride for me and our staff. It is very gratifying work, and we are very proud of this. YOU MIGHT BE SURPRISED TO KNOW: Every working day in this country, 3,000 women undergo hysterectomy most commonly for benign uterine fibroids, and the vast majority of them were young women of color who were never told about Uterine Fibroid Embolization (UFE) by their doctor. UFE would've given them the relief of symptoms that they were looking for, as well as avoiding the risks and long recovery of surgery, allowing them to keep their uterus and even give them the possibility of having children.