The most unique feature is the use of advanced diagnostic testing with qualitative Vaginal Fluid Analysis testing (VFA Test). Other gynecologists continue to use the century old technique of Wet Preparations. Fowler Gyn International Laboratory is CLIA certified and utilizes reagents, staining and quantification techniques with analysis under phase contrast microscopy. It appears that Dr. Fowler is the only gynecologist in the US that has CLIA certified laboratory dedicated to the complex analysis of vaginal constituents. Moreover, Dr Fowler discovered the etiology  of a set of related chronic vulvovaginal conditions; vulvodynia, chronic vaginal bacterial infections, recurrent yeast infections, urinary frequency & urgency w/o bladder cause, recurrent UTI’s w/o bladder cause. For instance, the rest of the world believes that vulvodynia is a nerve condition involving the skin of the vulva. Dr. Fowler discovered vulvodynia and the rest of these conditions have a common underlying etiology known as vaginal dysbiosis. He has developed and perfected treatment protocols over several decades which required numerous patient-years observation. There has not been another medical practice in the country posting the number of testimonies as shown for the Fowler Gyn Approach. Its’ quite clear that the exceptionally high response rate has led to more social media buzz than virtually any other vulvovaginal physician in the country.

FGI deals with with vulvodynia characterized by burning, rawness and/or stinging and pain with insertion of tampons, pain with insertional intercourse, as well as the problem of the vaginal caliber being too tight and tearing or the vagina too short with penis hitting the top of vagina.  Also, FGI treats recurrent bacterial and/or chronic yeast infections, recurrent bladder infection without urologic cause, chronic vagina discharge and/or odor and urinary frequency and urgency without a UTI. All of these vulvar skin symptoms come from the same etiology: vaginal dysbiosis. Vaginal secretions which had been neutral, now are caustic. The secretions do not hurt the vagina much because it is made of tough ectoderm but just up inside the opening of the vagina is a 1/2” wide area of endoderm; this is the tissue that gets sensitized by the secretions. So these conditions are not intrinsic to the skin itself but occur because of what’s going on inside the vagina. FGI offers advanced diagnostic testing known as Vaginal Fluid Analysis (VFA) testing to diagnose and monitor response of these conditions.

How Much Hope is There?

I think this testimony from a client in Michigan spells it out pretty well:

“Dr. Fowler literally saved my life. After battling a chronic vaginal infection for 3 years, I developed unprovoked vulvodynia. I saw nine specialists in my region and no one knew how to treat me except to numb my pain. I spent over $20,000 on both traditional and alternative medical treatment plans. I was unable to have intercourse for nearly 5 years. I was unable to wear pants or panties for 3 years. I needed to resign from my job because I was unable to function as the pain was a 10/10. I was hopeless and my vulva/vaginal pain was ruining my life. I found Dr. Fowler through an internet search, it was a miracle provided by the Lord that I found him. The first time I spoke with Dr. Fowler on the phone, he was patient, kind and encouraging. He even allowed me to pray with him. I scheduled my visit to Arizona and started treatment immediately. My recovery was slow, and at times discouraging. Dr. Fowler kept encouraging me and said that for some women recovery is slow, to be patient, and to stay the course. After nearly 2 years of following his treatment plan, I am 95% better. I am so grateful to God for Dr. Fowler and the FGI staff! I got married and I'm now in a loving relationship able to have intercourse and reach orgasm without any pain. I never knew that sexual intimacy could be so pleasurable. We had sex every day for a year. Life has been wonderful. Have had so much sex I got pregnant. Dr. Fowler has given me my life back and then some, in a manner that I never thought was possible. God bless you, Dr. Fowler! You are changing the lives of women worldwide! Ladies, call Dr. Fowler NOW, he will change your life too! L. Holland, MI.”

FGI (Fowler Gyn International) Office Manager, Alice Yeates, recently reflected on the practice saying, “Isn’t it interesting, Dr. Fowler, how most of the new patients act a little suspicious about the practice on their first visit, but by the end of the visit they are totally at ease.” Then she added a very kind remark, “Dr. Fowler your are a master at enabling women to feel comfortable and secure with you and what a blessing it is. Look how many women have got their life back because of you.”

I wish there was a way to better connect with new prospective clients this but there are so many factors involved. First and foremost, FGI deals with issues in women’s health that are of the most inanimate in nature. Where else does a woman talk about the sensitivity and quality of her vagina? There is no way to create instant trust when dealing with questions like: Where exactly is the vaginal pain located? What factors trigger or exacerbate the pain? What happens during intercourse and sexual response including sexual wetness, vaginal caliber and length? Describe the vaginal secretions, discharge and odors? AND all this with a new provider, someone they have never met and often just found online.

Then there is the emotional sensitivity that the “V” problem evokes. Women’s lives are often in shambles over the detrimental lifestyle changes that the condition causes. Most of FGI clients have already seen multiple providers who have not been able to help them and they have began to feel despair. Some providers have even told them that their is nothing that can be done and they will just have to learn how to live with it.  This is the purpose that from the onset of opening FGI, I made it a testimony driven practice.  With the hundreds of testimonies posted, women cannot deny something different is happening at FGI. Asking patients to write testimonies would seem like a simple thing, but people are busy. Getting them to do so after this difficult problem is behind  them is challenging. They often have no need to return to FGI when they are fully cured. See the problem. However, if I approach them just before they have no reason to return, they are universally so grateful they are more than happy to write their testimony. It triggers their memory of how important is was for them to have read the testimonies and how it gave them hope to proceed with an FGI appointment. Now you can understand why so many women state in their testimonies that they are 80-90% better. This would be the last appointment before they are cured.

Moreover, the FGI website (fowlergyninternational.com) provides an Echat function where a prospective clients can contact one of FGI’s clients by email or phone and talk with her about her experience. There is no other practice that I am aware of that provides prospective patients with this degree of assurance and hope.

Some have reluctance to spend the money on a cross country trip for an out-of-pocket expense medical visit. The good news is that just the initial appointment requires in person visit, and subsequent visit at one year if needed. The 4th month and 8 month follow-up visits can be done virtually by collecting the specimens in the comfort of the clients own home and mailing it to FGI. This definitely reduces the financial sting. Additionally, for the in-office visits, many people have “out of network” insurance coverage which can cover 60-80% of the in-office visit charge. For this purpose, a Superbill is provided to every client who requests one. However, Medicare does not accept Superbills for “out-of-network” coverage.

FGI is the only practice in the country to my knowledge which has an associated CLIA approved laboratory dedicated to the analysis of the vaginal constituents at a complex level. This provides most of the critical information FGI needs to establish the individualized treatment protocol. Fixing vulvovaginal problems secondary to altered vaginal flora problems is not like treating something like high blood pressure where there are a number of medications to try. There are now over 50 FGI protocols. Selecting the correct one requires specific information on a number of factors.   Also, women find that the objective follow-up regarding the response to treatment seen in the Vaginal Fluid Analysis to be very gratifying.

Don’t be one of those women who consider it for several years before registering for an appointment at FGI. Once you have had symptoms for over 4 months, rarely do these conditions resolve on their own. Women who get these chronic vulvovaginal problem are believed to have an abnormality of their vaginal mucosal that makes it impossible for the vagina to self-correct aberrations in the microflora as it dose in most women. It’s a very infrequent situation; that’s why women with these conditions don’t know anybody else with the same problem. Be assured that you are no alone and we have helped thousands of women overcome these dreadful symptoms.

Why would women fly from all across the United States to see Dr. Fowler? What makes  his practice so unique? In 2016 alone, women came from 49 states to undergo treatment by Dr. Fowler at Fowler Gyn International in Phoenix, Arizona. Consider a Pennsylvania woman’s testimony below:

“I can remember thinking that the trip across the country to see Dr. Fowler would be the last time I would go to a doctor for this chronic condition I had been dealing with for over three years. I was severely depressed and fed up with the doctors who all seemed to be the same. By this point I had been to so many different gynecologists that I had lost count, but I decided to give it one last try. Doctors I had seen all said my symptoms were just in my head, but I knew that the discharge and odor that I was experiencing was far from normal. My self esteem was at rock bottom and the thought of sex gave me anxiety; all the enjoyment was gone from it. I don’t remember how I came across Dr. Fowler’s practice online - most likely during my hours of research trying to find ways to cure myself, a period of time where I felt extremely lost – but I am grateful beyond measure that I did. Immediately, I was amazed by Dr. Fowler’s intelligence. He knew exactly what he was talking about and was sensitive and caring, something I desperately needed during that vulnerable time. Dr. Fowler diagnosed me with Inflammatory Vaginitis and told me every way in which things down there were not healthy and explained how they should be. I can’t explain how much just knowing what to call this condition meant to me, as well as the hope I felt about the future. Dr. Fowler told me that for my case in particular, treatment would be a long road, but in 8 months I have seen notable improvement. I fully trust his expertise and his methods and I can’t thank Dr. Fowler enough for what he has done for me.” N. Philadelphia, PA.

So what makes Dr. Fowler’s practice so unique to make it is worth a cross-country flight? Dr. Fowler practiced exclusively gynecology (only two years of obstetrics) his entire career. Additionally, he specialized in hormones and vulvovaginal conditions from the onset of his practice. This kind of emersion in narrow fields of investigation is nearly unheard of in gynecology. Aside from his 26 years of such experience, 22 of which were at Mayo Clinic, his gynecologic practice is one of a few if not the only one with a CLIA certified laboratory. Known as Fowler Gyn International Laboratory, Dr. Fowler conducts  advanced vaginal fluid analysis which includes a quantitative determination the vaginal constituents. His research includes first to publish the vaginal micro-flora patterns found in healthy women with no vulvovaginal symptoms. After centuries of medical research in numerous countries, this had never been investigated. It is critical to know this so that treatments can be formulated to “push” the vaginal flora towards one of the normal patterns. Vulvovaginal conditions which have the underlying etiology of altered vaginal micro-flora patterns then can be successfully treated. If you seek the expertise at Fowler Gyn International, like this Pennsylvania women above, it’s likely you’ll be glad you did. If you are experiencing chronic vulvovaginal symptoms for which you have seen multiple providers and failed numerous treatment, Dr. Fowler encourages you to come for an evaluation.

BLOG OCTOBER 12, 2015

Many women with vulvar irritation manifest as itching, dryness, chafed and/or variable degrees of soreness are commonly told by their gynecologist, often without any proof, than heavy yeast. It has been Dr. R. Stuart Fowler’s experience as a vulvovaginal specialist for the past two decades and having seen thousands of women with these symptoms, the underlying problem is usually NOT yeast. Yeast may be present and causing symptoms but this is just a reflection of the underlying problem. Consider the following patient:

“I have had a yeast problem for the past 10 years giving me burning and itching and normal doctor visits did not cure the problem. I was disappointed with all the continuing symptoms and my husband started looking for some type of specialist to address this situation.  He was fortunate to find Dr. Fowler's website, FowlerGynInternational.com and got excited that it addressed the same type of problems I was having. We called and made an appointment. Dr. Fowler examined me and immediately placed me on a protocol for treatment. I adhered strictly to his protocol and saw immediate results…with a 100% relief after 2 months. I highly recommend Dr. Fowler as he has cured my problem.”  M. Las Vegas, Nevada

Women such as this women from Las Vegas are often suffering from an altered vaginal micro-flora pattern. This means there has been a shift in the vaginal bacterial milieu. These are not contagious or infectious but result in secretions that bathe the vagina down to the opening and beyond causing irritation to the external genital tissues. The altered flora can cause the ‘culture media conditions’ in the vagina to be more conducive to growth of yeast so recurrent yeast may be a secondary factor. But if only the yeast is treated, this is like bandaid therapy because the yeast will likely just reoccur several weeks later, whereas if the cause for the altered vaginal micro-flora is treated then the condition resolves. You may ask, “Does my gynecologist know how to treat altered vaginal micro-flora patterns?” The answer is...not likely. It takes advanced microscopic equipment and additional training in the recognition of vaginitis types beyond the four most common types as traditionally taught in medical schools/residency programs.

At Fowler Gyn International (FGI), they have developed effective treatment protocols to treat the underlying cause of recurrent bacterial and/or yeast infections which is the result of years of clinical observation and research by the founder, board certified gynecologist, Dr. R. Stuart Fowler. You can contact them at  http://www.fowlergyninternational.com/contact-us to learn more. Get evaluated at FGI and experience the difference and true hope for resolution of symptoms.

“I first started having the symptoms about 2 years ago. I saw a few gynecologists and none of them could find out what was wrong. They all diagnosed me with recurrent yeast or bacterial infection and put me on antibiotics, but my condition did not improve. Tired of not feeling like myself, I decided to give it another try and went to see another gynecologist referred to me by a friend. Thanks to Dr. Richards I found out about Dr. Fowler. I flew to Arizona to see Dr. Fowler. From my first visit, I could tell I had finally found a doctor that knew what he was talking about. Dr. Fowler diagnosed me with a case of Vulvodynia and put me on a strict regimen for 4 months. Right away I started to feel better. No more itching, burning or yeast infection. I finally  feel like myself again. What a relief! All I can say is: Dr. Fowler you are a genius and your magic works! Thank you so very much for all your help.”  C. from Glenwood, New Jersey.

When the “good” bacteria in the vagina, the lactobacilli, counts are low, the other 30+ “bad” bacteria that are normally in the vagina at low concentrations proliferate and become the dominant strains. They take over. If a vaginal bacterial culture is done in this setting, it will grow out something like Beta strep, Enterococcus, E. coli, Klebsiella, Gardnerella Vaginalis or some other bacteria that can be normally found in the vagina. This simply reflects what specie of bacteria has become dominate in the vagina at that time. In does not usually represent an infection. If antibiotics are prescribed, only a transient response will likely occur. Sound familiar? The treatment that is really needed is to correct the underlying reason for the shift in altered vaginal micro-flora. Find out how at FGI.