Want a facial with that prenatal care visit?

You could order both if you're setting up an appointment with ZenSpa & Medical Office, a one-of-a-kind practice that has opened in Honolulu.

A month and a half ago, ZenSpa & Medical Offices brought the first combined obstetrics and gynecology medical practice and spa service to Hawai'i when it opened in a 2,500 square-foot space at Restaurant Row. The founders hope the idea of offering primary care in a relaxing spa environment catches on the way it has in some Mainland cities.

"Everyone that comes in remarks about how different and unique it is," said Dr. Brad Sa-kaguchi, an OB/GYN who founded ZenSpa with Lori Kelsey, a doctor who has an aesthetic medical practice, offering treatments that help women deal with aging.

"Really, what we're trying to do for women is give them really solid OB/GYN care, but beyond that we have the aesthetic things that women are looking for."

While almost unheard of locally, spas that offer some sort of medical treatment are one of the fastest-growing parts of the spa industry in the United States. The International Spa Association earlier this year reported that medical spas had 69 percent average annual growth between 2003 and 2005. Most often, these include chemical peels and microderm abrasion skin treatments, the association said. It also noted that some medical practices such as plastic surgery offices are moving to include spa treatments as part of their services.

Among those who've visited ZenSpa is Ann Honbo, owner of Salt Lake-based Elite Catering. Honbo visited for a facial after a friend recommended it.

"It's not like walking into a cosmetic shop that offers facials," Honbo said. "The atmosphere is great in there, it's just very serene."

Sakaguchi said the idea to meld a medical practice and spa isn't that far-fetched.

"The idea of having your routine checkup and then going for a massage or facial in the next room may seem unfamiliar, but it is not hard to accept," he said. "One patient said, 'If I could come in and get a facial skin treatment and my Pap smear in the same appointment, hey, that's a no brainer.' "

Besides Kelsey, who can do laser hair removal, botox injections, hormone therapy and skin tightening, the spa employs two licensed massage therapists, two aestheticians for skincare, a woman's health coordinator and an aromatherapist who is brought in on a consulting basis. There's also a small shop that features the Skinmedica and Neova skin-care lines that can only be offered by physicians as well as the Eminence organic line from Hungary.

Spa clients and medical patients share a common waiting room that Sakaguchi said is more reminiscent of a resort spa than a doctor's office. Clients are given waffle-weave kimono robes to wear.

"This is really a one-of-a-kind experience," Sakaguchi said. "Because where (in Hawai'i) has anyone melded medicine and this resort-spa kind of atmosphere?"

Reach Greg Wiles at gwiles@honoluluadvertiser.com.