How a Chicago pelvic health specialist is changing lives from Peru to the Midwest

Practicing cultural humility and adaptable surgical care

Each trip has made Dr. Paya Ten more adaptable and humble as a surgeon. She explained, "In Cusco, we operate with fewer resources, in a different language, on patients who have often waited years, sometimes decades, for care. That forces you to be precise, efficient and creative."

This perspective remains with her in Chicago and reframes patient encounters. Whether in Chicago or Cusco, women are placing a high level of trust in Dr. Paya Ten, and she recognizes this and finds it meaningful every day.

"The trust that women place in us, often traveling hours from remote Andean communities, reminds me never to take access to specialty care for granted," Dr. Paya Ten said.

Understanding that pelvic floor dysfunction is treatable

In July 2026, Dr. Paya Ten will join the Gender Affirmation Surgery Department at Rush University Medical Center for a one-year fellowship under the Plastics Division, training under Loren Schechter, MD, to expand her surgical expertise and serve the transgender community. While menopause and women's health are having a moment, there is still so much work to be done.

Dr. Paya Ten said, "The women I care for in Cusco have often been told that pelvic floor symptoms are just part of life after childbirth or with age. The same is true for women in Chicago, in every socioeconomic bracket. Pelvic floor dysfunction is treatable. Incontinence, prolapse, pain - these have real solutions.

Her advice for women: "Please speak up, ask questions, and find a provider who takes you seriously. You deserve to be heard."