Patrick Muffley's Schools

• Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine , Class of 1997 DO in Medicine

Patrick Muffley's Publications

• French Adventure Novelist Alexandre Dumas, Dr. Patrick Muffley June, 2010 One of my favorite authors is the French adventure novelist Alexandre Dumas, famous for a number of popular stories such as The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo. Starting his career as a playwright, Dumas gained immediate critical acclaim, which encouraged him to begin writing novels. Dumas was also a talented essayist, which is evident from his work Celebrated Crimes, a collection of essays about famous European crimes and criminals, including Cesare and Lucrezia Borgia, Beatrice Cenci, and Martin Guerre. Dumas released many of his stories as episodes, much like a modern television series, creating suspense as his readers eagerly awaited the story’s continuation. My favorite Dumas work is The Count of Monte Cristo, which was completed in 1844. The story follows a young sailor named Edmond Dantes set to become a captain and marry Mercedes, a beautiful young woman. Dantes, however, is falsely accused of being a Bonapartist conspirator and thrown in prison for life. The deputy public prosecutor sees that Dantes has been framed but does not spare him because he wants to save his own Bonapartist father. In prison, Dantes learns science, philosophy, and foreign languages from Abbe Faria who bequeaths him a treasure on Monte Cristo Island if Dantes is ever freed and able to claim it. When Faria dies, Dantes hides in his shroud and escapes, traveling to the island and finding a great fortune. Assuming a new identity, Dantes returns home to discover the fate of his friends and family before again disappearing. He reappears ten years later in Rome, calling himself the Count of Monte Cristo and reintegrates himself into Parisian society. When no one recognizes his true identity, save Mercedes, Dantes is able to wreak vengeance for the misdeeds committed against him. The Count of Monte Cristo is an engrossing story that is hard to put down.

• Dr. Patrick Muffley, OB-GYN, Dr. Patrick Muffley July, 2010 Dr. Patrick Muffley is an OB-GYN specializing in laparoscopic surgery, among other minimally invasive surgical techniques. Applying a holistic approach to his practice, Dr. Patrick Muffley remains highly informed regarding the latest developments in the field of women’s health. In his practice, Dr. Patrick Muffley often cares for patients who require a hysterectomy due to abnormal uterine bleeding. Abnormal bleeding is defined by bleeding that continues for more than seven days, often accompanied by clots. There are a number of causes for abnormal uterine bleeding including uterine fibroids and endometriosis, a debilitating gynecological condition in which endometrial-like cells appear and spread in areas outside of the uterine cavity. Laparoscopic hysterectomy is an alternative to abdominal hysterectomy, and there are numerous advantages to this procedure, not the least of which is a reduced period of convalescence. Harry Reich, a surgeon in Pennsylvania, performed the first laparoscopic hysterectomy in 1988. Since then, the procedure has become common practice, although it is still surrounded by some controversy. A basic hysterectomy entails the surgical removal of the uterus. Hysterectomy is the second most common operation performed in the United States today, trailing closely behind Caesarian sections. Each year, 600,000 women in the U.S. undergo a hysterectomy, and 1 out of 3 U.S. women will have had a hysterectomy by the age of 60. The controversy surrounding this procedure stems from the fact that some medical professionals, unlike Dr. Patrick Muffley, believe that only 10% of hysterectomies are actually necessary – only those that are performed in cases of uterine cancer. If the other 90% of hysterectomies are uncalled for, women who are suffering from non-cancerous gynecological problems are left with very few options. In the end, the choice to undergo a hysterectomy belongs to the woman alone, and many women who choose to have a hysterectomy are satisfied with the results. A recent study conducted by a female physician at Harvard University found that most women who underwent a hysterectomy were “very satisfied” with the outcome of the surgery, noting a marked improvement in general quality of life. Dr. Patrick Muffley encourages patients whose condition indicates the need for a hysterectomy to educate themselves regarding the pros and cons of the procedure.

• Dr. Patrick E. Muffley, D.O. on the History of Obstetrics, Dr. Muffley November, 2010 Documented Obstetrics techniques go as far back as 1500 B.C.E. in societies around the world, including ancient Egypt and Rome, Japan, and parts of Africa. Anecdotal evidence suggests that some of these ancient obstetricians may have developed successful techniques, although the exact procedures used are unknown. The modern history of obstetrics began during the Renaissance with the improvement of the caesarean section. In 1500, a Swiss pig gelder named Jakob Nufer purportedly performed the first caesarean section in which the mother survived. Caesarean sections, used for over 1000 years, have been considered generally as a last-resort effort to save the baby when the mother had died or was likely to die. Nufer apparently performed the surgery on his wife, who lived to given birth to several other children, although the authenticity of the story remains unconfirmed. For the next two hundred years, not many advances were made in obstetrics techniques, and caesarean sections remained a measure of last resort, with the vast majority of mothers dying from the procedure. As late as the last half of the 19th century, the fatality rate for caesarean sections was above 80 percent. Over time, however, this started to improve. The development of forceps in the late 17th century and of anesthesia in the 18th century led to somewhat better results, and outcomes continued to improve with increased understanding of hygiene and general surgical techniques. By the turn of the 20th century, obstetric interventions were becoming more common, and new techniques evolved with the development of antibiotics, analgesics, and medical technology over the subsequent decades.

• How to Get Involved with Feed The Children By Dr. Muffley , Dr. Patrick Muffley's Blog on Bigsight September, 2011 Feed The Children is a nonprofit organization that provides resources to young people living in poverty. For more than three decades, Feed The Children has adhered to core values of integrity, stewardship, transparency, resourcefulness, and Christian teachings as the group distributed food to families in need. As a charitable organization, Feed The Children draws the majority of its support from volunteers, who perform a number of different roles and constitute the group’s backbone as it carries out the mission. In the United States, popular volunteer areas include disaster relief, education, and care package assembly. Public Domain Disaster relief: Thanks to an extensive fleet of tractor trailers in the United States, Feed The Children has the ability to respond to natural disasters, whenever and wherever they may strike. Feed The Children responds to natural disasters swiftly and immediately, providing food and other valuable emergency supplies to affected individuals. During the 2008 hurricane season, Feed The Children sent dozens of trucks to help those affected by Hurricane Ike in Texas. Feed The Children’s disaster relief effort stretches beyond American borders, as well, as evidenced by the organization’s transportation of more than 13 million pounds of food to African children in need of nourishment. Kid’s Stuff USA: For arts-and-crafts-minded volunteers, Feed The Children currently sponsors the Kid’s Stuff USA program, which sends shoe boxes of personal care items to children in need around the country. Feed The Children’s leaders encourage volunteers to decorate their boxes before filling them with items, such as notebooks, toothpaste, shampoo, games, books, socks, and gloves. The group also suggests adding toys, flashlights, calculators, water bottles, and more. By participating in the Kid’s Stuff USA program at Feed The Children, volunteers have an opportunity to brighten a child’s day and provide him or her with items essential to a healthy and happy childhood. Education: Recent research has shown proper nutrition is one of the most important components of a successful education and overall school experience. As such, Feed The Children dedicates itself to providing nourishment to children across the United States. Additionally, Feed The Children draws on strategic partnerships with teachers and administrators to distribute books and school supplies to children in need across the country. Americans Feeding Americans: Through this caravan, Feed The Children brought food and other essential items to more than 200,000 underserved children in the United States during 2010. With a donation of $5, contributors can provide a child with food and essentials for up to one week. Feed The Children “Americans Feeding Americans” event, posted at pitchengine.com About the Author: An ardent supporter of Feed The Children, Dr. Patrick Muffleyis an accomplished obstetrician and gynecologist with more than 10 years of experience in the field. Dr. Muffley currently works at Women’s Contemporary Healthcare and Ohio Women’s Health Partners in Ohio.

• Umbilical Cord Prolapse by Dr. Patrick Muffley , Dr. Patrick Muffley's Blog on Bigsight January, 2012 An obstetric emergency that occurs during labor when the umbilical cord exits the uterus before the fetus, umbilical cord prolapse occurs in 0.14% to 0.62% of births and places the life of the fetus in immediate danger. Prolapses can occur either overtly, with the umbilical cord visible or palpable upon examination, or occultly, with it descending alongside part of the fetus and therefore impossible to observe. Both types of prolapse endanger the life of the child because they are usually accompanied by compression of the umbilical cord between the fetus and the mother’s body, compromising blood flow to the baby. Umbilical cord prolapse typically occurs after the rupture of the amniotic sac and cannot be predicted. Risk factors for cord prolapse include having twins or triplets, early breaking of the amniotic sac, or a having a fetus in the transverse position when the amniotic sac is broken. A woman and her doctor will know the cord has prolapsed if they can see or feel it or the baby’s heart rate slows after the water breaks. posted at fotosearch.com The most immediate concern in an umbilical cord prolapse is to prevent or relieve pressure on the umbilical cord. A woman may be asked to get onto her knees and place her elbows and hands on the floor, then lower her head to prevent pressure on the cord. A doctor or assistant may lift the baby’s head inside the vagina to keep it from putting pressure on the cord. Umbilical cord prolapse always calls for immediate delivery of the child, through either a cesarean section or vaginal birth. Luckily, most babies suffer no long-term damage from a prolapse, though the risk of brain damage and death does exist. About the author: Dr. Patrick Muffley presently serves as an attending obstetrician and gynecologist (OB-GYN) at Women’s Contemporary Health-Care in Westerville, Ohio. Dr. Muffley has worked as an OB-GYN for more than a decade. His publications include numerous book chapters and articles on topics in women’s health, including umbilical cord prolapse.

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