Videos

In honor of Women's Health Month and Mother's Day, Dr. Kimberlyn Robinson, physician and clinical assistant professor with the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Dr. Leila Wood, professor and research with the School of Nursing and the Center for Violence Prevention, participated in a panel with our partners at Houston Moms to get real about the perceived stress they experience as working moms trying to find balance.

As women age, their bodies go through a variety of changes.

During this chat with our partners at Housotn Moms, Dr. Lucy Villarreal, clinical assistant professor and provider with the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, shares the science behind how hormones in the female body fluctuate over time and how those fluctuations impact everything from mood swings to body composition and more.

Dr. Lucy Villarreal is board-certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Her clinical interests include uterine bleeding, gynecologic surgery and minimally invasive procedures, menopause, contraception, abnormal Pap tests, care of the obstetric patient and more.

Gynecology services

In the wake of the cardiac arrest episode experienced by NFL player Damar Hamlin, UTMB pediatric cardiologist Dr. Ashraf Aly took some time out to visit with our friends at Houston Moms to answer some important questions surrounding the heart and how it works, including, the differences between a heart attack and cardiac arrest, what an AED is, what parents of athletes should know and more.  

Dr. Ashraf Aly is board-certified by the American Board of Pediatrics in both pediatrics and pediatric cardiology. He specializes in pediatric cardiology and sees patients with possible congenital heart diseases from the fetal life throughout adulthood.

Cardiology

As a pediatric surgeon, Dr. Bindi Naik-Mathuria, chief of the UTMB Health Division of Pediatric Surgery, has seen her fair share of accidents land kiddos on the operating table, so she’s passionate about spreading awareness and educating individuals about how to prevent those types of situations in the first place. During a recent chat with Meagan Clanahan of Houston Moms, Naik-Mathuria covered some common seasonal safety tips to help everyone have a happy, healthy, uneventful holiday season. Additionally, the high points have been outlined in this helpful Houston Moms post

Dr. Bindi Naik-Mathuria is triple board-certified in pediatric surgery, general surgery and surgical critical care. She is an experienced pediatric surgeon with over a decade of clinical experience in general pediatric abdominal and thoracic surgery, pediatric surgical oncology, and pediatric trauma.

Pediatric Surgery

UTMB's Dr. Yusif Hajiyev, pediatric ENT, recently sat down with Meagan Clanahan of Houston Moms to discuss all things related to ear tubes in children. From what conditions might prompt the need for tubes to the rules for swimming and bathing after the procedure.

Dr. Yusif Hajiyev specializes in providing the newest medical and surgical treatment for the full spectrum of pediatric ENT disorders, including hearing loss and ear infections, cochlear implants, airway and breathing issues, swallowing dysfunction, allergies, sinusitis, and sleep apnea.

Pediatric Otolaryngology

Bindi Naik-Mathuria, MD, Pediatric Surgeon, emphasizes keeping children safe on Halloween by maximizing their visibility so drivers can see pedestrians crossing the street. Pedestrians should also use crosswalks and be mindful of how masks can prevent a costumed person from seeing approaching cars. Children should learn to look left, then right, then left again before crossing streets, use sidewalks, and watch for cars reversing or turning. According to Safe Kids, twice as many children are killed while walking on Halloween than any other day of the year.

This piece was originally produced in conjunction with our partners at i45Now. View the original post on their page.

UTMB Health nurse practitioner Jill Resendez helps patients close the loop on breast cancer, one strategically placed tattoo at a time. She and her former patient Tina Herring joined Meagan Clanahan of Houston Moms for a recent chat where Herring shared her personal story and how reconstruction helped in her healing process as a cancer survivor.

Jill Resendez is a nurse practitioner with Plastic Surgery. In addition to traditional cosmetic and filler work, she also assists with reconstructive work for breast cancer survivors.

Reconstructive Surgery

UTMB Health Nurse Practitioner Jill Resendez plays an important role in the lives of breast cancer survivors who opt for reconstructive services through the UTMB Health Division of Plastic Surgery.

To help bring closure to the journey these patients have undergone while fighting for their lives, Resendez offers nipple and areola tattooing services. The goal: help patients feel whole again.

Resendez had wanted to be a fashion designer. But watching her own mother fight and lose her own battle with breast cancer motivated the then high-school senior to go into health care. She got the idea to offer this service when she graduated as a nurse practitioner just as the world was shutting down due to COVID.

With traditional training programs on hold because of the pandemic, Resendez perfected her technique at a local tattoo shop during an eight-month apprenticeship before providing the service to patients. Today, she regularly has the privilege of closing the breast cancer chapter for UTMB Health breast reconstruction patients like Norma Garcia.

“I forget when I look in the mirror that there’s even reconstruction going on,” Garcia says. “She made me feel very whole.”

UTMB Health patient Christal Kuehler just reached what she calls the end of her journey this October, when Resendez completed her tattoos. Just before the procedure, Kuehler had only one thought. “I’m going to be complete,” she said.