Surgical Technique Offers Endometriosis Help: A new surgical technique uses a precision instrument to remove all the tissue from the uterine lining that leads to the pain of endometriosis.

New York, Oct. 30 - For many women, endometriosis can be a severely painful disease. It may strike as many as 15 percent of menstruating women, ages 25 to 44. In addition to being extremely painful, it can cause internal adhesions that can block or interfere with the functioning of organs. But there is help.

A new surgical technique uses a precision instrument to remove all the tissue from the uterine lining that leads to the pain. “It was pretty intense. The pain was felt throughout the
body. It’s really debilitating,” said Gladys Pozza. She has been dealing with the pain from endometriosis for over 15 years. "What’s really terrible about the disease is most of the
time when you have pain people can see it on you, but with this disease, you really can’t tell. There’s no outward signs that people can see that you’re suffering,” said Pozza. The reason for this is because endometriosis is a disease in which patches of tissue normally found in the uterine lining grow outside of the uterus. The symptoms of the disease include very heavy, painful menstruation, occasional pelvic pain throughout the month, pain during sexual activity or during bowel movements. Like many other women, Pozza has had previous surgeries
to try to remove the tissue that leads to the pain. But her pain continued to return.

Dr. Harry Reich of Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center performed laparoscopic surgery on Pozza to remove the diseased tissue. According to Reich, “It’s much easier to see with a
laparoscope. Traditional surgeons will say it's easier to see with a big incision. It’s not true. If you have a big incision, you’re standing far from the area being operated on. [With
laparoscopic surgery] we have our eye with the tip of the scope right on the area we're operating on, so we can see the minute vessels and areas.” But it's not just the laparoscope that makes the difference. It’s also having a surgeon who has the skill and patience to remove every bit of the diseased tissue, leaving nothing behind that could lead to pain later on. "Laparoscopic surgery is nice for the patient because they don't have a big incision, but it's not nice for surgeon. The
surgeon often works for three, four, five hours. It’s a long, difficult operation,” said Dr. Reich.
One week after undergoing laparoscopic surgery, Pozza said that she felt good and was hoping for the best outcome possible. "I'm confident this is the one that will put it away, at least for a lot longer,” she said. Many times women who don't get relief from drugs or surgery are told to either tough it out or are told that a hysterectomy is their only other option. Women should get a second opinion from an expert in endometriosis before even considering such a drastic step.
There are drugs that help with endometriosis, but because they suppress the activity of the ovaries, they can have some very unpleasant side effects. The good news is that endometriosis will end with the onset of menopause, except for women who opt for estrogen replacement therapy.

References: Endometriosis Association
National Institutes of Health: Facts about endometriosis