Katherine Czyszczon, MD

Biography

Dedicated to women in every phase of life — and a commitment to excellence in their surgical care

Every woman is unique.  We each communicate differently. We all offer diverse life experiences, have individual goals, and face own our personal challenges. Dr. Katherine “Katie” Czyszczon (“Sizz-on”) keeps all these things in mind as a gynecologist caring for women of all ages.

Dr. Czyszczon’s work is focused on surgical intervention for gynecologic conditions. She is an expert in minimally invasive pelvic surgeries, which are often required when women are living with endometriosis, uterine fibroids, heavy menstrual bleeding or adenomyosis. These pelvic tissue-related disorders can be extremely painful but are treatable. She continues to provide general gynecologic care as well.

After years in independent practice, she joined VCU Health and its School of Medicine — her alma mater — to get into education of young doctors and to “be with a team who expect excellence every day, with every patient, with every outcome.” VCU also offers her the opportunity to take on some of the most complex women’s health cases and see patients from the Richmond region’s most vulnerable communities.

And no matter the woman on the other side of the door, she approaches every patient with authenticity. “I cannot help but be my true self with every interaction and I think patients' sense that,” she says. “I am earnestly trying to make the best decisions, give the best advice and perform to my best ability every day I show up to work.”

“With our recent resilience through a global pandemic and national attention long overdue for social equity, I feel my role as a physician has really taken on a whole new layer of responsibility in caring for others and addressing disparities,” says Dr. Czyszczon. “Being part of the team at VCU Health to help resolve healthcare disparity, in particular, is a challenge that I am honored and excited to take on.”

She also appreciates that every woman is unique, and therefore requires personalized treatment for their own health needs. “Every woman I see has a different set of expectations and goals regarding their health,” she says. “Within our Women’s Health Team, women experience a culture of teamwork that extends from your care team to you. It is always a positive interaction here.”

Advice to patients: “Bring a friend or family member, ask questions even if they feel uncomfortable and sign up for the portal so that if a question comes up later you can just send a quick message to get an answer. Trust your instinct about your surgeon, and if they don’t feel like the right person for you, no worries! Get a second opinion.”

Research Interests: Studying perioperative techniques to improve surgical outcomes and patient safety, as well as examining existing standards in testing to ensure ongoing clinical utility.