Obstetrics & Newborns: St. Luke's Antepartum and Labor & Deliver Unit has cared for hundreds of women with complicated pregnancies. On our unit, doctors have access to state-of-the-art medical equipment to ensure successful pregnancies. Depending on the situation, the doctor may employ some of the following diagnostic tools: fetal echoes, ultrasound, fetal non-stress tests (NST), or amniocentesis.

Breast Cancer: More than 180,000 cases of breast cancer are diagnosed each year, and one in eight women will have breast cancer during her lifetime. To ensure optimum breast health, women need to perform monthly breast self-exams and receive regular diagnostic examinations. And no place offers a more conformable, convenient setting than St. Luke's Women' s Center, where additional diagnostic procedures, including breast ultrasound, breast needle localization, and stereotactic biopsy are offered. Technologists on staff are certified by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (AART). Physicians who interpret the mammograms are radiologists certified by the American Board of Radiology.

To make mammograms more convenient for Houston-area women, and to reach out to the many women who would not otherwise receive mammograms, St. Luke' s now operates a Mobile Mammography and Bone Density Coach. This traveling health unit, wheelchair accessible and equipped for mammograms, is scheduled for locations around the city. Interested women need to have a physician order for each screening. To check the schedule or to arrange for the coach to come to your group' s function, call 832-355-DOCS.

Osteoporosis: At St. Luke' s Women's Center, an advanced diagnostic tool is used to measure bone mass: the Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA) Bone Densitometer. Results of the DEXA scan help women and their physicians determine the extent of osteoporosis and appropriate treatment to reduce the risk of fracture.

On St. Luke's Mobile Mammography and Bone Density Coach, the latest in bone density screening is also available. It' s as easy as placing the heel of your foot on a step: the result is an accurate measurement of the bone density throughout the body.

Urinary Incontinence: At some time in life, every woman faces intimate issues about which she may be reluctant to speak. Urinary incontinence is just one such matter. But there's no need to feel embarrassed. At St. Luke' s, the latest evaluative methods are used to diagnose urinary conditions. No matter the specifics of the comprehensive evaluation, women can be assured that they will be informed about the treatment options that available to address their problems and they will receive care in a supportive, sensitive, and dignified environment.

Heart Disease: As women age, heart disease becomes a significant threat. And it' s a threat they often underestimate. Heart disease is, in fact, the leading killer of women; fully 50% of women will have heart disease in their lifetimes. For women, a routine stress test just isn' t sufficient: it' s not conclusive and it often gives unreliable results in women patients.

The signs and symptoms of heart disease are different for women than for men. Cardiologists and cardiovascular surgeons at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital, home of the Texas Heart Institute, have a proven record of diagnosing and treating heart conditions.