Kia (Baltimore, MD), had suffered through her period for years with intense pelvic pain and uncontrollable bleeding, and it got worse over time.
“It was like someone stabbed me every month. The cramps leading up to my menstrual cycle were horrible. I had to wear 2 tampons and Depends. The first 2-3 days were awful. I had to carry extra Depends, extra underwear, extra everything.”
“I just wanted to be free from feeling trapped,” said Kia. “Every month, I felt like a prisoner. I had so many problems since my mid-30s and on. I had heavy menstrual cycles, passing huge clots, and I was severely anemic. I had to have an iron transfusion two times. I was losing so much blood, even in between periods. I had to wear Depends because the bleeding was so bad. The doctors thought I had fibroids. I went to a doctor for uterine artery embolization (UAE) and he sent me for an MRI that showed I had adenomyosis. I had never heard of that before.”
Adenomyosis is a condition where the endometrial cells (the lining of the uterus) grow into the uterine wall, causing inflammation with every menstrual cycle. Adenomyosis pain can be debilitating. While it is not a malignant condition, adenomyosis pain can be extremely disruptive to a woman’s life. It can vary greatly from woman to woman.
“The doctor said that the UAE could help with the adenomyosis, but it could also make me infertile. But for me, that wasn’t true. Soon after I had the treatment, I got pregnant. I was only able to sustain that pregnancy for 5 months. I lost the baby. The doctors didn’t understand why. After I had the pregnancy loss, I also had a degenerating fibroid that was excruciating. My periods came on really heavy and went back to wearing depends again.”
After going through the surprise pregnancy and the subsequent loss of the baby, Kia knew she wanted a more definitive approach to treating her condition. However, she kept hitting a wall when it came to finding a doctor who would listen to her.
“Nobody wanted to do a hysterectomy. I had been to 3 GYNs, but I felt like I was being deterred from what I really wanted to do. They said they could perform a myomectomy, but there is always the risk of fibroids coming back. I felt like my life was just revolving around my menstrual cycle, and that wasn’t how I wanted to live. I had not been pregnant since my son, who is now 14. With all of these conditions going on, I didn’t want to go through that again. Who was to say I wouldn’t lose the baby again.”
Kia wanted to find the best hysterectomy doctor, and started doing Google searches for women’s care. She discovered The Center for Innovative GYN Care and Dr. Paul MacKoul, MD and did extensive research on CIGC and Dr. MacKoul before making a decision.
“I read all of the reviews, watched the videos several times. I already knew what I wanted to do, I just needed to know I was choosing the right doctor. As soon as I called, I knew. Dr. MacKoul was very direct, and he gave me two options which I liked. I could have the fibroid removed or have a hysterectomy. He told me that for me to live a very comfortable life, removing my uterus, cervix, and fallopian tubes and leaving my ovaries would be the best option so that I wouldn’t go into menopause. My decision was set. I had already been through so much. I’m 40 now and I felt like I was trapped in my womanhood. I wanted to be free, live comfortably. I called the surgical scheduler before she could call me.”
Kia had a laparoscopic hysterectomy with the DualPortGYN technique.
“Everything went fine. I was only down for the first couple of days after surgery and that was due to the anesthesia. I went home the same day and there was never any pain from the actual surgery at all. Even with the incisions, there are no scars. I feel like a totally different woman. I don’t have to hold back. I can plan my life. ”
Paul MacKoul, MD and Natalya Danilyants, MD developed the DualPortGYN technique for a minimally invasive hysterectomy and other gynecological procedures. The DualPortGYN technique makes it possible to remove even large uteri, large fibroids, endometriosis and ovarian cysts using just two tiny incisions. A minimally invasive hysterectomy is recommended for women who have abnormal bleeding and pelvic pain due to adenomyosis and who are finished with child bearing. While fibroids can be removed with a minimally invasive myomectomy, that will not treat the adenomyosis, and additional fibroids are likely to grow. The only cure for both adenomyosis and fibroids is a hysterectomy.
“I had sex and it was amazing. I didn’t have to worry about bleeding during or after. I didn’t have to worry about the pain. Prior to all of this, I was bleeding during and just couldn’t enjoy it. Now I don’t have to worry. I’m relaxed. My body is relaxed. My mind is relaxed.”
“Dr. MacKoul was amazed by how good I looked and how I felt. I’m so at peace. One of the first things I did after the surgery, I gave all of my supplies to my neighbor.”
The CIGC state-of-the-art specialists are available at three locations in the DC metro area. Virginia patients can visit the Reston, VA location, and Saturday appointments are available. Maryland offices are located in Rockville, MD and Annapolis, MD.
CIGC is dedicated to providing information and materials for women to help navigate the complicated healthcare system. The CIGC founders, minimally invasive GYN surgical specialists Dr. Paul MacKoul, MD and Dr. Natalya Danilyants, MD, developed their advanced GYN surgical techniques using only two small incisions with patients’ well-being in mind.
Their personalized approach to care helps patients understand their condition and the recommended treatment so that they can have confidence from the very start. Our surgeons have performed over 20,000 GYN procedures and are constantly finding better ways to improve outcomes for patients.
Book a consultation today with Paul MacKoul MD or Natalya Danilyants MD.
Dr. Paul MacKoul Reviews: Vitals | RateMDs | Google | Wellness | UCompare
Dr. Natalya Danilyants Reviews: Vitals | RateMDs | Google | Wellness | UCompare
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