Center for Treatment of Endometriosis

The team for treatment of endometriosis combines, first of all, a powerful group of highly qualified experts, professionals in the field of gynecology, endocrinology and laparoscopic surgery.

The Center for Treatment of Endometriosis uses the most advanced technology in medical imaging and computer diagnostics. Experts on the Chinese medicine and treatment of chronic pain, doctors dealing with infertility, also participate in the process of treatment in order to help the patients and do everything in their power to treat endometriosis successfully and without any complications.

Endometriosis is a disease in which cell tissue that lines the inside of the uterine cavity (called the endometrium) flourish outside of the uterine. These abnormally located cells and tissues go through the same biological processes as in the normal endometrium. Monthly light bleeding leads to inflammation in the surrounding tissues and causes the main symptoms: pain, increase of the affected organ in its size, infertility.

Experts estimate that about 5 to 10 percent of women of the childbearing age suffer from the symptoms similar to endometrial manifestations. The typical symptoms include severe pain during menstruation, chronic pelvic pain, pain during sexual intercourse or problems with the onset of pregnancy.

On the other hand, endometriosis is diagnosed in 35-50% of women with infertility.

Unfortunately, an accurate diagnosis is usually delayed for various reasons. By the time of its diagnosis, the "endometrial" disease may progress to severe stages. To diagnose endometriosis, to develop and implement an optimal program of treatment for each patient, requires the combined efforts of the doctors of different specialties.

In order to successfully cure endometriosis, it is necessary to start its treatment as soon as possible.

The symptoms can appear in many guises and at different stages of the disease. They could be seen as disturbance to the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract (diarrhea, constipation), pain in the anus, which often occur during the menstrual cycle, sometimes even bleeding from the rectum during menstruation.

Moreover, the symptoms of endometriosis can make urination painful and cause enuresis, which could be aggravated during menstrual periods.

The prevalence of the disease:

1. Approximately 176 million women and girls worldwide suffer from endometriosis; 8.5 million in North America alone.
2. About 5-10% of all women of the childbearing age, regardless of their race and ethnicity, suffer from endometriosis.
3. At the age of 15-40 years, approximately one-third of all visits to the gynecologist are endometriosis- related.
4. One-third of all women, who are undergoing IVF, suffer from endometriosis.
5. Of all the causes of female infertility that needed IVF, endometriosis is the most severe pathology.
6. Surgery for endometriosis comprise one third of all gynecologic operations.
7. Endometriosis is the most common reason for hysterectomy at the age of 40.
8. Hereditary predisposition - the risk of disease increases by 7 times if there is history of the disease in the family.

Symptoms:

1. Severe pain during menstruation
2. Pain during intercourse
3. Pelvic inflammation
4. Rectal bleeding during menstruation
5. Diarrhea during menstruation
6. Infertility

Diagnosis of the disease in most cases occurs by chance:

1. During an emergency operation due to acute inflammation in the peritoneal cavity (for suspected appendicitis or torsion of the ovary).
2. The presence of an ovarian cyst that does not disappear (a cyst that contains a cloudy liquid is called chocolate cyst).
3. While identifying the causes of infertility.

The Center for Treatment of Endometriosis provides an early diagnosis of endometriosis and its optimal treatment at any stage of the disease. The Department constantly advances methods of endometriosis treatment. We make use of the latest scientific information from other endometriosis clinics, as well as conduct it's own independent research.

The Center for Treatment of Endometriosis

The Center for Treatment of Endometriosis provides a wide range of medical services for women - from a one-time professional advice prior to the surgery and treatment of various systemic disorders at the late stages of the endometriosis.

Compulsory care of the patient during all medical procedures is an integral part of the therapy procedures conducted at the Center. The Clinic is so far the only medical institution in Israel, which cooperates with gynecologists and family physicians from local clinics as well as clinics for infertility treatment and research departments of Chaim Sheba Hospital. The Center treats about 70 women per week. 14 experts in the field of gynecology and endometriosis are engaged in the diagnosis and treatment of disease. They also provide any necessary consultation to patients. Surgeries for endometriosis are held on certain days.

It should be noted that the Clinic conducts laparoscopic removal of endometriosis loci with preservation of the uterus.

Endometriosis

Endometriosis is a gynecological condition, in which endometrial tissue (the uterine lining) can be found outside the uterus, in different parts of the body. The most frequent endometrial tissue overgrowth is observed in the genital area (genital endometriosis), as well as in other organs of the pelvis (extragenital endometriosis), such as the bladder, rectum and colon. In rare cases, extragenital endometriosis can be observed in distant from the pelvis organs, such as the lungs and the brain.

Endometrial tissue responds to regular hormonal changes that occur in the female body during the menstrual cycle. During menstruation, the endometrium is peeled from the uterine wall and excreted with the bleeding. A similar process is occurring outside the uterus, leading to internal bleeding that has no outflow, which leads to the development of local inflammation and, as a result, to the formation of scar tissue on the affected organ and its surrounding adhesions. Sometimes, a cyst can appear in the damaged organ or tissue. In this case it is called endometrioma.

One of the most common symptoms of endometriosis is severe, and sometimes paralyzing pain during the menstrual cycle. Endometriosis is detected in approximately 70% of patients complaining about pelvic pain. Internal scarring and adhesions lead to dysfunction of the damaged organs, including the urinary and digestive systems.

In many cases, the disease can eventually lead to infertility. According to the statistics, 25-60% of infertile women are diagnosed with endometriosis. Therefore, it is crucial to exclude any possibility of this disease by any complaint about the inability to conceive.

Complications of endometriosis, such as ruptured endometrioma, bowel obstruction, etc., often lead to the emergency surgery, so patients diagnosed with endometriosis must be constantly monitored.

The final diagnosis with endometriosis can only be done via laparoscopy, which allows seeing clearly the damage of the organs in the abdomen and determining the severity of the disease.

Current effective treatment of endometriosis combines both, surgery and hormonal therapy.