Five Questions with Dr. Sana Ansari
Sana Ansari, MD, is an assistant professor in the Emory Gynencology and Obstetrics, Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery (FPMRS) division. She sees patients at the Emory Women’s Center at Emory Saint Joseph Hospital and Emory Johns Creek Hospital.
Dr. Ansari completed her residency at Saint Barnabas Medical Center. Dr. Ansari also completed FPMRS fellowship at The Christ Hospital/University of Cincinnati.
She has won awards that include, Clinical Chief Resident and the AUGS Award for Excellence in Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery.
5 Questions with Dr. Sana Ansari
1. Why did you want to become a doctor?
I was exposed to aspects of medicine early due to my parents who were in different medical fields. My father is a medical engineer for radiologic machines, and my mother is a Nuclear Medicine Technologist. Due to this early exposure, science has always been a strong suit for me. However, getting to medicine was a process of elimination. I realized as a teenager that I did not have what it takes to become a rock star…so, I hung up my air guitar and moved on. I loved working with my hands and building things; hence engineering came to mind. But after I nearly failed “Calculus for Engineering” in college, I decided sticking with Biological Sciences was the way to go. From there, I thought more about surgery, which felt like the best balance of my talents. I went on to go to medical school thereafter and confirmed that medicine was the perfect fit for me.
2. Why did you choose FPMRS?
I was very lucky to have early exposure to Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery (FPMRS), also known as Urogynecology, in my third year of medical school. I spent time in the operating room with urogynecologist Dr. Jachtorowycz in Chicago. The surgeries were amazing and were instantly gratifying. Not being able to get that level of amazement out of my head, I joined him again in a rotation that I created to have more office exposure. I saw all different women in different stages of life and different pelvic problems, but they all had one thing in common: They were completely broken and felt they were all alone dealing with their issues. This touched me in a completely different way than I had ever felt. My heart tore up for them, and I felt that these were the patients I HAD to help. From there, I applied to OBGYN residency and told everyone that I was going to go into FPMRS. I was very lucky to have matched in St. Barnabas for residency where I was mentored by Dr. Segal, FPMRS, and Dr. Berger, urologist. They gave every bit of support and guidance to advance. I went on to have the best mentorship and training in FPMRS fellowship with Dr. Karram, Dr. Shah, Dr. Whiteside, and Dr. Mahdy. They made my dream a reality. I am so grateful for the journey and the people who have led me to where I am today. I absolutely love what I do and love the women I serve.
3. What are some of the special skills, experience or training that you bring to your work?
Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery is a combination of Urology and benign Gynecology. We go through urology or OB/Gyn residency and then another 2-3 years of FPMRS fellowship training. Every FPMRS physician is a little different in what they offer depending on their fellowship training. I treat vaginal bulge/prolapse, urinary, and fecal incontinence, and urinary frequency/urgency via conservative and surgical approaches. I am a pure vaginal surgeon for vaginal prolapse. This approach is the most minimally invasive surgery can get. I also treat Pelvic Floor Dysfunction (issues with the pelvic muscles) and Interstitial Cystitis, also known as Painful Bladder/Bladder Pain Syndrome.
4. What do you enjoy most about working with patients?
I love getting to know my patients. I hear some amazing stories of their lives filled with obstacles, struggles, and achievements. One thing that I find most endearing about my patients is their sense of humor about life. My patients’ stories and wisdom give me things to consider in my own life.
5. What are your hobbies outside of work?
My 2 years old son is my “hobby”— He’s the entire focus of my time when I am not at work. We love cooking and baking together, as well as exploring nature.
Learn more about Dr. Ansari's’s background by visiting her online bio. To make an appointment with Dr. Ansari, please call 404-778-3401.