Dr. Mark Akin began his private OB/GYN practice in 1983 working with Dr. Harold Brumley and Dr. Vernon Elledge, two of Austin’s most respected obstetrician/gynecologists. Dr. Akin quickly absorbed these physicians’ time-honored philosophy of quality care and respect for their patients. He has subsequently nurtured this group’s growth with newer talented physicians, and is now the current President of a group of 11 physicians, known as Austin Area Obstetrics, Gynecology & Infertility.
A native of Wichita Falls, Texas, he attended the University of Texas in Austin on a 4-year football scholarship with Coach Darrell Royal, and received his undergraduate and Master’s degrees with highest honors in Environmental Health Engineering and Biomedical Engineering, respectively. He earned his medical degree from The University of Texas Southwestern School of Medicine in Dallas in the top ten percent of his class (Alpha Omega Alpha). He completed his 4-year residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas in 1983, and he was given the award of Outstanding Resident by the Texas Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. He is board certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology since 1985.
Dr. Akin has been a true physician leader in the field of Obstetrics and gynecology for over 35 years. While Chief of the OB GYN section at Seton Medical Center, he helped lead a Perinatal Safety Group that reduced preventable birth injuries to zero, and was ultimately awarded in 2007 the National Codman Award. He was one of the first physicians in Texas performing ExAblate, a non-invasive treatment for uterine fibroids with MRgFUS, and has continued innovative medical and surgical treatments for uterine fibroids. He was the first surgeon in the US to perform Adiana female in-office sterilizations, and the first surgeon in Central Texas to perform single umbilical incision laparoscopic hysterectomies.
In 2005, Dr. Akin convinced his partners that they could improve upon Women’s Health Care in Austin. Using his engineering background combined with his medical training, Dr. Akin literally helped draw the plans for the St. David’s North Austin Women’s Center of Texas, which is now one of the largest and most prestigious Women’s Centers in the Country. Austin Area Obstetrics, Gynecology & Fertility moved into this new facility in 2009, and since that time the facility has become Austin’s undisputed leader in Women’s Health Care. This center now delivers 7,000 babies a year, over 25% of all deliveries in Austin. The Women’s Center has 24-7 coverage with obstetrical hospitalists and 6 maternal fetal medicine specialists, a 24 bed antepartum unit with intensive care for pregnant women, and a 60 bed neonatal intensive care unit. Dr. Akin more recently helped design a new day surgery center in the Women’s Center, which is exclusively for advanced women’s surgeries including gynecologic, urologic and infertility procedures. His large generalized practice offers a broad base of women’s health care including fertility treatment, high risk pregnancy management, well-woman care, pelvic surgery, urinary incontinence, and post-menopausal bio-identical hormone replacement therapy. He works patiently with women using the most current lab tests, whether it is evaluating pregnancy with genetic sequencing or evaluation of hormone effectiveness via sophisticated bio-markers and urinary metabolites.
Although Dr. Akin is an OB/GYN, primarily treating female patients, he has also been able to improve his patients' sexual life by offering treatment to their male partners suffering from erectile dysfunction. The trust of his patients and the familiarity of the office and the staff provides a comfortable environment for his female patients to assist their male partners in seeking treatment in a guilt free, completely confidential setting. Please visit https://www.atxshockwave.com/ for more information and to schedule an appointment.
Dr. Akin has worked with many attorney practices throughout the United States as an expert medical witness rendering opinions, depositions and trial testimony for both defendants and plaintiffs. He was the testifying physician for the first federal case involving EMTALA, a law which guarantees patients emergency access to medical care regardless of financial status. In the Spring of 2017, he testified before the Texas House and Senate Subcommittees to promote a new bill requiring all insurance companies to provide coverage for 3-D mammography as a part of routine annual exams for women. Since then, Governor Abbot has signed the new bill into law, which went into effect January 1, 2018. He has also opined on obstetrical and gynecologic malpractice lawsuits, using accepted standards of care to base his opinions. He has used this vast experience with complicated cases to help educate other physicians and nurses in the Women’s Center, and to advance the quality of care provided to women.
Dr. Akin has participated in over 100 FDA Clinical Trials during his career including the HPV Vaccine development study, breast cancer, oral contraceptive pills, acne, osteoporosis, fetal fibronectin, hormone replacement, dysmenorrhea, endometriosis, urinary incontinence, arteriosclerosis and statin drugs. Among those trials completed, many new drugs and diagnostic tests have become a part of routine treatments for women. Most recently, he was the principle investigator of a study using the new Dysis colposcope, a new sophisticated computerized method of diagnosing cervical cancer. Dr. Akin has also been a guest lecturer at the University of Texas, Department of Biomedical Engineering, as well as the St David’s Davinci Robot Conference.
Dr. Akin met his wife Debi at the University of Texas, fell madly in love and got married at age 21! They have remained happily married for 45 years. Their three children, Amanda, Adam, and Abbey, all live in Austin and have produced eight grandchildren in 3 ½ years. Dr. Akin applied his engineering skills to his Austin home as well, creating one of the largest lily ponds in Austin, a 1,200 foot-long maze, and a playscape for grandchildren, including a pirate ship which is larger than Christopher Columbus’ Santa Maria! His personal hobbies include water gardening, spending time with family, various home improvement projects, drag racing, and attending University of Texas football and basketball games.
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