For millions of women suffering from endometriosis pain, finding long-term relief can be a frustrating journey. The longer it takes to get a diagnosis can mean more damage from inflammation and scarring. But sadly, it can take up to 10 years for a proper endometriosis diagnosis.

Symptoms are often dismissed as normal: pelvic pain, heavy bleeding, fatigue, bloating. The more complicated symptoms include difficulty urinating or having a bowel movement, and even difficulty getting pregnant or carrying a pregnancy to term.

In women suffering from endometriosis, endometrial tissue is displaced, but continues to function as it normally would. With each menstrual cycle it grows and thickens, then breaks down and bleeds. This can happen every month. Normal endometrial tissue within the uterus exits the body through the vagina during a period, but endometriotic tissue is trapped. This can cause pain and irritation to the surrounding tissue. Pelvic adhesions can form, causing organs to stick together.

Often, women with endometriosis have no idea how severe their condition is until surgery is performed.

ENDOMETRIOSIS PAIN: FIND A SPECIALIST FOR A DIAGNOSIS

Minimally invasive GYN surgeons are trained to diagnose and stage endometriosis. These are specialists who only focus on treating complex GYN conditions like endometriosis, pelvic adhesions, fibroids, adenomyosis, ovarian cysts & pelvis masses, and who specialize in performing excision or resection of endometriosis and pelvic adhesions. It is essential that women suffering with endometriosis symptoms find an GYN specialist.

Though awareness is growing, endometriosis is still not well understood by many doctors.

• Many women are told that period pain is normal, and rather than persist with another medical professional, they continue to suffer for years until the pain becomes unbearable.
• Endometriosis symptoms can be attributed to other conditions including kidney infection, irritable bowel syndrome, interstitial cystitis, and other conditions, delaying a proper diagnosis.
• Some doctors may perceive repeated visits for menstrual pain as a patient only seeking pain killers, and patients find they are dismissed rather than properly evaluated.
• Laparoscopic diagnosis of endometriosis is the most definitive method, but it is considered an invasive diagnosis, so not always performed.

In addition, some women may have severe debilitating pain, while others have no symptoms at all. If, for example, an endometriotic lesion is on a nerve, the pain associated with that may be excruciating, even if the endometriosis is not wide spread.

Endometriosis occurs most commonly within the pelvis but has been reported in nearly every other location of the body. Women who have lesions beyond the pelvis, and who are told that a hysterectomy will resolve their endometriosis may find that they still experience pain after well after surgery.

THE BENEFITS OF ENDOMETRIOSIS EXCISION (OR RESECTION)

Excision (or resection) of endometriosis is the most effective procedure to ensure all instances of endometriosis are removed. It is the best way to manage endometriosis pain for women wishing to maintain fertility. In addition, since pelvic adhesions are common with endometriosis patients, it is essential that these are removed by a specialist. If removed incorrectly they can reform and create additional pain. At The Center for Innovative GYN Care, our surgical specialists have helped thousands of women with complex GYN conditions. The minimally invasive procedures used at CIGC makes thorough endometriosis removal possible.

Unless seen by a specialist first, it is very common for endometriosis patients to have increased pain from surgery performed incorrectly. Like removing pelvic adhesions, it is essential that removal of endometriosis lesions is done thoroughly. If mistakes are made, or if lesions are left behind, it can actually make a patient’s condition worse. Dr. Paul MacKoul, MD and Dr. Natalya Danilyants, MD perform minimally invasive endometriosis excision using DualPortGYN. Dr. MacKoul and Dr. Danilyants developed this procedure to use only two 5MM incisions, one at the belly button, and another at the bikini line.

BOOK A CONSULTATION

GYN surgical specialists can often see women sooner because they are focused entirely on surgery. Each endometriosis patient gets detailed, in depth attention from Dr. Natalya Danilyants and Dr. Paul MacKoul. This personalized 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 Dr. Paul MacKoul, MD or Dr. Natalya Danilyants, MD.

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CIGC TRAVEL PROGRAM

Even if you are not from the DC area, many patients travel to The Center for Innovative GYN Care for our groundbreaking procedures. We treat women from around the world who suffer from complex GYN conditions.

Learn more in our travel program.