Adenomyosis Symptoms: How To Relieve The Pain

Adenomyosis can be difficult to detect. It’s a complex GYN condition and symptoms are often debilitating. Pain can be severe and menstrual bleeding is heavy for some women. It is however one of the conditions that can be difficult to diagnose as it is not well understood by many physicians.

An MRI can often detect adenomyosis. An ultrasound can also be used, but it is less sensitive than an MRI. If the adenomyosis is small and diffuse, it may not appear on any imaging, and can only be diagnosed during surgery. As this is a disease of the uterus, the only definitive cure is hysterectomy.

Women often suffer through the pain thinking it’s normal, which creates barriers to treatment. It’s important to speak with a specialist about these symptoms as they can be relieved.

SYMPTOMS & TREATMENT

Heavy menstrual bleeding from adenomyosis is not only disruptive, it is dangerous as it can cause anemia. The dangers of anemia include life-threatening complications such as congestive heart failure, arrhythmia, and/or heart attack. You can learn more about the risks here.

Adenomyosis is contained within the uterus and the only definitive treatment is hysterectomy. Women who want to preserve fertility can temporarily manage adenomyosis symptoms with medication. Most of the time however these are not very effective, especially when the adenomyosis is extensive.

Learn more in this Q&A with Dr. Natalya Danilyants: Adenomoyosis Pain: What Women Need To Know.

THE BEST HYSTERECTOMY OPTION

Minimally invasive hysterectomy, as definitive treatment of adenomyosis, relives symptoms with minimal scarring and fast recovery. CIGC surgeons Rupen Baxi MD, Natalya Danilyants MD and Paul MacKoul MD perform hysterectomy surgery using the DualPortGYN technique. It is a superior approach using two 5 mm midline incisions, and post-operative recovery is 1 week.

When it comes to lesser known GYN conditions like adenomyosis, women should seek a specialist for optimal care. A minimally invasive hysterectomy should be performed by a skilled laparoscopic surgeon who is fellowship trained on advanced techniques to prevent damage to the delicate structures in the pelvic cavity. Standard laparoscopic or robotic hysterectomies have a higher risk of damage to ureters, bowel and blood vessels.

SEE A SPECIALIST

To schedule an evaluation with a CIGC specialist, call 888-SURGERY or reach out online. Women travel from around the country and around the world for CIGC’s innovative procedures: learn about our travel program.

Patient stories from women who found relief after minimally invasive GYN surgery at CIGC are available on our website here and on doctor review sites: Dr. Rupen Baxi Reviews | Dr. Natalya Danilyants Reviews | Dr. Paul MacKoul Reviews.

New Study Shows Menopause Symptoms Can Be Safely Managed With Estrogen Therapy

Menopause symptoms can be incredibly disruptive and many women are reluctant to undergo a hysterectomy out of fear of menopause. It’s important that women know: menopause symptoms can be managed. A recent study demonstrates estrogen therapy can be safely used post-hysterectomy, as long as it is not combined with progesterone.

Estrogen-only therapy can be safely prescribed to women who’ve had a hysterectomy as it shows no overall increase in breast cancer risk compared with women who had never used HRT. Women using a combination of estrogen and progestogen therapy, had a 2.7 times greater risk than non-users, significantly higher than previously reported.

This is an important factor for older women with fibroids who often believe a myomectomy is a preferable and less invasive procedure than a hysterectomy, which isn’t true. Learn more in this article shared by WTOP News:
A Minimally Invasive Hysterectomy Improves Options For Menopause Symptoms

To schedule an appointment with a CIGC physician Dr. Paul MacKoul MD or Dr. Natalya Danilyants MD and discuss minimally invasive treatment for complex GYN conditions, call 888-SURGERY or contact us online. At The Center for Innovative GYN Care, hysterectomy surgery is performed using the DualPortGYN technique, with two 5 MM incisions and recovery in 7-10 days.

LAAM: A Better Minimally Invasive Myomectomy

CIGC surgeons developed a safer approach to laparoscopic myomectomy with an advanced surgical technique called LAAM. This innovative approach makes it possible for all women to be candidates for minimally invasive GYN surgery with only 2 small incisions, regardless of the size, location or number of fibroids. Women suffering with fibroids, who no longer wish to preserve fertility, or whose fibroids have created extensive distortion to the uterus, are better candidates for a DualPortGYN hysterectomy.

Read testimonials from CIGC patients after minimally invasive fibroid removal with LAAM:

Rashetta’s Story: Minimally Invasive Removal of Large Fibroids is Possible
Sherri’s Story: Traveling For Minimally Invasive Fibroid Surgery
Azundai’s Journey: Finding The Best Fibroid Removal Surgery

To speak with a CIGC minimally invasive GYN surgeon Paul MacKoul MD or Natalya Danilyants MD about your fibroid removal surgery, call 888-SURGERY or contact us online. More patient feedback is available on doctor review sites: Dr. Paul MacKoul Reviews | Dr. Natalya Danilyants Reviews.

 

 

 

Think Twice Before Getting UFE To Treat Fibroids

Uterine fibroid embolization (UFE) is a non-invasive method to treat fibroids that many women consider. It is a procedure performed by radiologists who insert a small catheter into the large vessel in the groin, and then they find and block with plastic particles the vessels that feed the fibroids. Women who want to become pregnant should know: UFE has limitations and may have long-term effects on fertility.

UFE is a good approach to control bleeding, but in younger patients the long-term control of fibroids is very limited. Additional fibroids can grow or the fibroid that was embolized can reestablish blood supply. We highly recommend to women who are told they can get embolized and still want babies, to reconsider the approach because it can affect implantation of the embryo into the lining of the uterus, where the baby grows. With fibroid treatment, it’s important to preserve the blood supply and it’s also important to preserve the lining of the uterus.

According to UpToDate®, the premier evidence-based clinical decision support resource, there is an adverse effect on women who have become pregnant after having UFE:
“A systematic review and several case series of pregnancies following UFE or UAE have reported adverse outcomes including miscarriage, preterm delivery, placental problems, and malpresentation.”

Safe fibroid removal, that does not affect fertility, can be achieved with laparoscopic myomectomy using the LAAM technique. This approach was developed by CIGC surgeons Paul MacKoul MD and Natalya Danilyants MD and it takes the best elements of both laparoscopic and open approaches for myomectomy. It is safer than open or robotic procedures, and more effective than UFE at preserving the uterus for fertility. With 2 small incisions, one 5MM incision at the belly button and a 1.5 inch incision at the bikini line, fibroids of any size, number or location can be removed.

Learn more about the risks of UFE and safer treatment for fibroids in this WTOP News article:

Women With Fibroids Should Think Twice Before Getting UFE

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BOOK AN APPOINTMENT

If you would like to get a GYN evaluation for your fibroid symptoms, call 888-SURGERY or contact us online. CIGC has offices in Bethesda, MD, Annapolis, MD and Reston, VA. Patients who reside outside the Washington DC area travel to CIGC through our travel program.

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Heather’s Story: A Laparoscopic Hysterectomy Handled With Care

CIGC’s hysterectomy patient Heather S. from Ashburn, VA is dealing with a rare genetic condition called Dercum’s Disease. Pain associated with this disease is caused by growths consisting of fatty tissue that press on nearby nerves and it can be severe.

“The condition has mutated my nervous system. I have five to ten times the nerve endings. Everything is surprisingly painful and leads to so many complications. For instance, it takes more medication than normal to knock me out for surgery.” she said.

MINIMALLY INVASIVE GYN SURGERY AT CIGC

Heather came to us with severe GYN symptoms. She had a laparoscopic hysterectomy and is doing well. Her case however was complicated. Before having her surgery, she was in terrible pain and could not walk for more than 5 minutes at a time.

“My lower back felt like it was being crushed and the inside of my pelvis felt like it was being shredded.” Heather said.

The hysterectomy showed Heather had been suffering from endometriosis for years.

“I’ve had irregular periods my entire life. When Dr. MacKoul did the surgery, he found scar tissue and adhesions everywhere. He suspected that I had endometriosis for over 10 years. He felt that something must have snapped or pinched a nerve, which is why I was having so much pain. I had pelvic adhesive resection, and a full hysterectomy with the ovaries removed.”

Because of the blizzard in January, Heather almost didn’t make it to the hospital.

“My neighborhood got buried in 4 ft of snow. The hospital didn’t have as much snow, so they weren’t prepared to reschedule. Because of my condition, I couldn’t walk for more than a few minutes. My poor mother, knowing how bad my pain had become, was determined that I wasn’t going to miss my surgery. She got the Loudon County Fire and Rescue to come out at four o’clock in the morning!”

FEELING BETTER AFTER DUALPORTGYN HYSTERECTOMY

After her minimally invasive hysterectomy, Heather’s pain started to go away.

“The pelvic pain has gone away since surgery. I started to feel good after a week. To give you an idea of how complicated my underlying condition is, I had a procedure a few years ago to remove a mediport, a simple I/V implant in my chest. I ended up in the hospital for 10 days just for pain control. But, thanks to Dr. MacKoul’s impressive familiarity with my rare condition and his skill with the minimally invasive hysterectomy, I was able to go home the next day. The incisions aren’t noticeable, they are barely even there.”

At CIGC, we perform laparoscopic hysterectomy using the DualPortGYN technique: two 5 MM incisions and 1 week recovery time. Because of the minimally invasive approach and location of the incisions (between the abdominal muscles), pain and bleeding is avoided and women get back to themselves faster.

HEATHER’S PASSION & GETTING BACK TO HERSELF

Heather also shared with us some details about her passion and being able to get back to what she loves.

“When I was 13 the first Harry Potter book came out. All my friends were suddenly really excited about reading again. I thought maybe I could transform that into a love of writing too. Soon after, I started the Daily Prophet, an online fictional newspaper where kids volunteered to be columnists. I ended up tutoring 400 kids worldwide and a few adults in creative writing. With my business, I wanted to replicate the same newspaper writing platform in middle schools. Teachers could create custom newspapers for their classrooms with various templates that capture each student’s pop culture passion using their love of books, movies or video games to develop an equal love for writing. I was getting quite far with it.

I had a meeting with Scholastic up in New York last year, but I had to fight through the excruciating pelvic pain to get up there. I finally realized that I couldn’t do it anymore because of the pain. Given my chronic health condition, my health is so fragile anyway. I knew I had to find something where I don’t have to travel much, or chase after venture capitalists for funding to make it happen. Being an entrepreneur is fantastic, but I couldn’t keep risking my health. I realized, I’ve spent so many years sharing my love for writing by helping other writers. Now’s the time to finally focus on my own writing by creating an original novel I’ve been dreaming about for years.”

SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT

If you would like to book a consultation to discuss you GYN symptoms with minimally invasive GYN surgeons of CIGC Paul MacKoul MD and Natalya Danilyants MD, call 888-SURGERY or contact us online. CIGC has offices in Bethesda, MD, Annapolis, MD and Reston, VA. Patients who reside outside the Washington DC area can look into our travel program.

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DualPortGYN Hysterectomy: Live Webinar May 18th @ 8 PM

Join me and Dr. Natalya E. Danilyants, MD on May 18th @ 8 PM for an interactive live webinar on DualPortGYN ‪hysterectomy‬: a safer & less invasive hysterectomy using two 5 MM incisions and 1 week recovery time. Our former patient Michelle will participate to talk about the procedure she had in December 2015 and how she has been feeling since.

It’s important to know hysterectomy surgery doesn’t have to be a painful or invasive procedure. There are safer options, with better recovery, that women should be aware of. During the event, we will answer your questions. We encourage all participants to submit their questions during or prior to the webinar. Click this link to register today and save your spot: Register Now! A Safer Hysterectomy Webinar, May 18th

At CIGC, we focus on highly advanced surgical techniques to perform minimally invasive GYN surgery with 2 small incisions and recovery in days rather than weeks. To find out more about our approach to GYN surgery, see the DuaPortGYN and LAAM pages on InnovativeGYN.com

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If you are looking to get a GYN evaluation with a CIGC specialist Paul MacKoul MD or Natalya Danilyants MD, call 888-SURGERY or contact us online. To read our patients’ feedback, go to patient review sites: Dr. Paul MacKoul Reviews | Dr. Natalya Danilyants Reviews

Rashetta’s Story: Minimally Invasive Removal of Large Fibroids is Possible

CIGC patient Rashetta from Washington DC first found out she had fibroids in college. A cyst on her ovary ruptured and she had to go to the hospital. On a follow-up ultrasound, Rashetta found out that she also had fibroids.

About 70-80% of women will get fibroids by age 50. Fibroids affect African American women 2 to 3 times more frequently than white and Hispanic women. Also, African American women are more likely to develop problems with fibroids at an earlier age, with the fibroids growing faster, becoming larger, and causing more bleeding and anemia than in women of other races.

THE WATCH AND WAIT METHOD FOR LARGE FIBROIDS DOESN’T WORK

“For years I saw the same doctor, waiting and watching my fibroids grow, and for a while, the pain wasn’t altering my daily activities. But then, the pain got progressively worse. I found myself in bed, crying in pain.”

Many doctors advise their patients to delay surgery if fibroids aren’t bothering them. The problem with fibroids, especially large fibroids is that they will continue to grow and frequently cause serious damage to the uterus. For women who wish to maintain fertility, avoiding to remove the fibroid when it is first discovered can lead to far worse symptoms down the line.

MINIMALLY INVASIVE MYOMECTOMY FOR LARGE FIBROIDS

A friend of Rashetta’s had a procedure with Paul MacKoul MD and told her that a minimally invasive myomectomy for a large fibroid is possible with this surgeon.

“I was hesitant to change, because my doctor knew my history, but I figured it couldn’t have hurt to have a conversation with him,” said Rashetta. “Even from my first consultation, the feeling that you get when you first meet someone and feel comfortable, that’s how I felt. When I first met him and he walked me through the procedure, he was so thorough. He drew out what was going on with my fibroids, and I realized in talking to him that I shouldn’t have done the watch and wait approach.”

The LAAM technique developed by minimally invasive GYN surgeons of The Center for Innovative GYN Care uses only 2 small incisions to safely remove fibroids of any size. LAAM is an important development, as it allows the surgeons to feel all of the fibroids. Patients return to themselves post surgery within 2 weeks.

 “I planned to be off for 2 weeks, and I can work from home, so while I stayed home for 3 weeks, I was back working after 2. That was a far cry from the 2-3 months the other doctor told me. The first couple of days after a myomectomy are painful. And I needed someone to be at home with me for that.”

RAISING AWARENESS OF FIBROIDS & MINIMALLY INVASIVE FIBROID REMOVAL

Rashetta’s journey has brought The White Dress Project in Washington DC and she now heads the DC chapter, raising awareness of fibroids and minimally invasive fibroid surgery.

 “I really feel like I was meant to work with this organization. It’s an issue that not a lot of people want to talk about and there isn’t a lot of awareness. I have a friend that is just now scheduling the surgery. She knows that I’m involved with The White Dress project, and I’m going to sit down with her and give her as much support as I can. But, if any woman has questions (about fibroids or minimally invasive surgery) don’t be afraid to ask Dr. MacKoul.”

BOOK A CONSULT

Call 888-SURGERY or visit us online to schedule a consult with a fibroid specialist of CIGC. Out-of-town patients can benefit from innovative GYN procedures at CIGC through our travel program.

MORE ABOUT US

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Join Us for a Live Infosession on July 20, 2015: Minimally Invasive Fibroid Removal & Conditions Affecting Fertility

CIGC is partnering with iHeartRadio on a series of infosessions to educate women on better alternatives to open or robotic procedures used to treat GYN conditions. Meet Paul MacKoul MD, Natalya Danilyants MD and iHeartRadio hosts Danni Starr from Hot 99.5 and Jenni Chase from WASH-FM on July 20, 2015 for a live, in-person infosession: Minimally Invasive Fibroid Removal & Conditions That Affect Fertility. Doors open at 5:30 PM, presentation begins at 6:00 PM at the Hilton Rockville.

DATE & TIME: Monday, July 20, 2015 | 5:30pm to 7:00pm
LOCATION: Hilton Rockville, 1750 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852

WHO SHOULD ATTEND: Women who are facing fibroid surgery or surgery for other gynecologic conditions that are causing infertility and want to learn about alternatives to open or robotic surgery. Couples, family members, or friends are also welcome!

SIGN UP HERE FOR JULY, 20 EVENT

Get Diagnosed with CIGC during Endometriosis Awareness Month

We’d like to take this opportunity to encourage all women experiencing intense menstrual pain to get evaluated early by a GYN specialist. Getting early treatment for endometriosis, if detected, can reduce the risk of recurrence and can prevent years of unnecessary pain. CIGC will provide useful tools to women during Endometriosis Awareness Month so they can get better care and better access to information.

See our latest blog to find out more about endometriosis awareness and early detection. Endometriosis patients treated by Natalya Danilyants and Paul MacKoul at The Center for Innovative GYN Care often become advocates, sharing their experience and encouraging others to find the best specialists for their gyn care.

Always Ask for a Second Opinion for your GYN Procedure

Relationships with a doctor can be strong and create a sense of comfort that is hard to let go of. Often patients fully trust their generalist fully and are not inclined to seek a second opinion when in need of surgical treatment. The reality of the situation is that it is idealistic to believe a doctor can be aware of all possible options for surgical management that provides the best outcome. It is often necessary to seek a second opinion from a specialist in order to make sure you get the best possible and least invasive treatment for your specific condition.

The latest CIGC blog shows why asking for a second opinion is vital when it comes to your gyn care and how it can change for the best the outcome of your surgery. Get to know CIGC physicians through the feedback of their patients posted on top review sites online: Natalya Danilyants reviews and Paul MacKoul reviews.