Kimberly Loar, M.D., gynecologist, is now seeing patients at Texas Oncology–Austin North and South Austin. She shares how her patients continue to inspire her and how she sees treatment evolving in the areas of testing and prevention.
What excites you most about joining an organization like Texas Oncology?
I am excited to continue working in preventative care (annual exams, pelvic ultrasounds, dysplasia), but now expand my ability to offer services to cancer patients as well. I think there is a great need for treatment of benign but life-altering gynecologic issues in patients with other cancers, such as breast cancer.
I am the first benign gynecologist to join Texas Oncology–Austin North, and will be handling the dysplasia division (pre-cancer, such as abnormal pap smears), prophylactic risk-reducing surgery for high-risk (BRCA positive) patients, and menopausal management for those high-risk patients. I am bringing some new capabilities and in-office procedures to Texas Oncology, like pelvic ultrasounds and Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedures (LEEPs), a treatment that helps prevent cervical cancer.
The best part of my day is catching up with my patients, seeing pictures of their kids, and acting as their confidante."
What are you most proud of when you reflect on your medical career to date?
The strength of the women I treat inspires me. I have treated women from all walks of life, many for more than a decade. I have helped them in their struggles with infertility, pregnancy, major surgeries, and menopause, and am continually amazed by their resilience. The best part of my day is catching up with my patients, seeing pictures of their kids, and acting as their confidante. I feel proudest of all the times patients told me that their surgery changed their life.
What are you most looking forward to as cancer treatment continues to evolve?
I am excited about advances in early diagnosis and markers to aid prevention. I have been very active in identifying high-risk patients and getting them access to genetic testing and high-tech surveillance. This includes BRCA testing, recommending new mammogram modalities such as IV contrast-enhanced 3D mammograms in patients whose lifetime risk exceeds 20 percent, and offering six-month pelvic ultrasounds and tumor markers to patients who are BRCA positive.
Do you have a favorite quote that inspires you?
“Be where you are, otherwise you will miss your life.” –Buddha “Treat everyone you meet as if they were you.” –Doug Dillon
What is the something you want your patients to know about you?
I am a gynecologist board certified in Obstetrics/Gynecology. I graduated from The University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston for medical school in 2001, and then completed my residency training at the University of Florida in Jacksonville. After spending three years in private practice in Ann Arbor, Michigan, my family and I relocated to Austin. I was in a busy OB/GYN practice for 11 years in Austin before joining Texas Oncology in September 2020. I knew in high school that I wanted to be a physician. I chose OB/GYN because I was very interested in a surgical specialty and passionate about women’s health. I’m an avid indoor cyclist and love yoga and meditation, but don’t do it enough! My other job is being a busy mom to two kids, a dog, and a cat.