4/5 of Endo Patients Unsymptomatic; New Technique May Improve Diagnostic Ability

CENTER FOR WOMEN’S CARE & REPRODUCTIVE SURGERY LAUNCHES FDA TRIAL OF OLYMPUS NARROW BAND IMAGING TO DETECT ENDOMETRIOSIS

4/5 of Endo Patients Unsymptomatic; New Technique May Improve Diagnostic Ability

ATLANTA, GA—“About four-fifths of endometriosis patients do not display symptoms,” said Tom Lyons, MD, a pioneer in gynecologic laparoscopy and co-author of WHAT TO DO WHEN THE DOCTOR SAYS IT’S ENDOMETRIOSIS (Fair Winds Press).

“This study will help us determine whether different colors of light can help us detect endometriosis more easily—and thus remove it more efficiently and effectively,” he said.

Three sites in the U.S. including the Center for Women’s Care & Reproductive Surgery in Atlanta will participate in a clinical trial of Olympus Narrow Band Imaging to determine whether light of different colors helps detect the disease better than white light only.

The study, also being conducted by Chuck Miller, MD, in Chicago, and Herman Barreuto, MD, in Baltimore, will involve 57 patients at the Atlanta site and similar numbers at the other two.

Customarily, when viewing the interior of the abdomen using a laparoscope, the light is white. In the FDA-approved Olympus study, the objective is to shine light of different colors and determine whether they highlight overactive tissues or areas of inflammation more readily.

The Narrow Band Imaging (NBI) from Olympus is strictly diagnostic, not therapeutic.

“We will first look at the disease area with white light, marking areas that we see is diseased with laser dots, then with NBI to see if that expands our visualization of diseased areas,” said Dr. Lyons. “With inflammation from endo, an area will be more vascularized (more blood vessels) and possibly we can more easily detect disease. We will then biopsy the area.”

Patients must be between 18-50 years of age and have problems with abdominal pain. Participants will be asked to fill out a brief questionnaire about reduction in pain levels at three months and six months post-operatively.

Known for developing the Laparoscopic Supracervical Hysterectomy in 1989 and the Laparoscopic Burch procedure for stress urinary incontinence, Dr. Lyons attracts patients from around the world for his advanced surgical techniques.

The Center for Women’s Care & Reproductive Surgery has offices in Atlanta (Dunwoody), Blue Ridge (N. Georgia mountains) and Lake Oconee at the Cowles Clinic. Contact them at 888-545-0400, 770-352-0037 or cwcrs@mindspring.com .                                                                       

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This page last updated 07/08/2011