Duke Medicine: A Q&A with Dr. Stanley J. Filip

One of the South’s OB-GYNs of choice, according to Ladies' Home Journal, is Duke Medicine’s Stan Filip -- the doctor your doctor calls when she or family members need care.

After 30 years in practice and 6,000 deliveries, Filip’s only rule is that patients must bring him a new picture of the baby he delivered during their annual checkups.

I think being a good OB-GYN takes experience, caring, and knowing how to discuss and explain difficult scenarios honestly and empathetically. I know how to make patients feel comfortable. Simply appreciating them as people is easy and goes a long way.

One reason I chose this specialty was to care for patients for a long stretch of their lives. I do love seeing them again. I have patients from all over North and South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, and Kentucky. A number of women fly in from New York. One is a professor from Texas.

I still get notes from past patients saying, “It’s my son’s fourth birthday today and I’m thinking of you.”

I’ve delivered a lot of babies, for sure, but now I focus on minimally invasive gynecologic procedures.

I’m well-versed in those procedures, some of which require no incisions and allow the patient to return to normal activity the same day. For instance, my colleagues and I can perform endometrial ablation in the clinic under local anesthesia for women who want to avoid hysterectomy altogether.

I have a great deal of experience performing these procedures, as well as with more traditional approaches.

First, with advice. Don’t wait until the problem is so severe you’ll need multiple office visits or hospitalization to feel better.