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Communication Key to Endometriosis Surgery Success Dr. Tom Lyons Takes Time to Educate Women on Their GYN OptionsBy Patrice Dickey Successful artist and horsewoman Amy O’Leary knows firsthand about the bad things that can happen when communication breaks down. In 1988 at age 23 in Detroit, she had her first laparoscopy for endometriosis, often a painful disease where the uterine lining grows abnormally outside the uterus. “I had 12 great years, then the symptoms started coming back,” she said. “By this time I had a different doctor. Even though I told him these were the exact same symptoms I’d experienced years earlier, he didn’t believe that the nausea, blah feeling, aches, pains and bloating indicated endometriosis.” Although she felt frustrated by his inability to hear her, she scheduled her second laparoscopy with him in June 2001. When Amy awoke from surgery, she was horrified to discover that she’d undergone anesthesia and emerged with staples in her stomach – but NOTHING had been done to eliminate the disease. The procedure had occurred simply to form a diagnosis! The doctor recommended that she go on a powerful drug that essentially would create a false menopause, complete with hot flashes. It would help alleviate the endometriosis—but only during the time she continued the drug, which cannot be used long term. “I don’t even like aspirin! There was no way I was going to take this drug!” ON THE INTERNET, AMY FOUND THE KEY Immediately after this frustrating and expensive experience in miscommunication, Amy went online and did a search on endometriosis, discovering Dr. Tom Lyons of the Center for Women’s Care and Reproductive Surgery and his Atlanta-based Endo Center. Although (because of insurance constraints) she had to wait for nearly two years to schedule her surgery with Dr. Lyons, in mid-March she drove herself to Atlanta from her new home in Greenville, SC, for the procedures that would solve her problem more permanently. On Thursday, March 20, 2003, Amy had a Laparoscopic Supracervical Hysterectomy (LSH), a minimally-invasive procedure developed by Dr. Lyons in 1990. Importantly, LSH leaves the cervix intact as a keystone support to the female anatomy. Any endometriosis in her abdomen was also surgically excised, removing it below the root so it wouldn’t reappear. Her appendix was removed at the same time. The day after the procedure she was walking upright. The following day she enjoyed a stroll through Zoo Atlanta, and the third day after her surgery she drove herself back to Greenville. “There was never a millisecond of fear or doubt about surgery with Dr. Lyons,” said Amy, “because this is all this man does. That’s a huge deal to me. My diagnostic laparoscopy—where we had a failure to communicate--was done by a doctor who mostly delivered babies, and he proposed an unacceptable medical solution. One doctor even told me I should have a baby to get rid of the endo!” Dr. Lyons explained that pregnancy to eliminate endometriosis is a myth. He agreed that communication is key to a positive outcome, especially with all the options women have today. “It’s especially important that patients choose a surgeon who is experienced in working with lasers and laparoscopy. LSH and the surgical excision of endometriosis require more skill than open abdominal hysterectomy. LSH is easier on the patient, but more challenging for the surgeon,” he said. Many surgeons will attempt a laparoscopic procedure and feel it necessary to convert to an open surgery with a long incision during the procedure. Make sure to ask your surgeon about his or her conversion ratio. Dr. Lyons’ conversion ratio is less than one percent.
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Reproductive Surgery© 2006 |
What To Do When the Doctor Says It's Endometriosis
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