Finding your endometriosis surgeon is a difficult task: here’s why

There are close to 7 years of delay in the diagnosis of endometriosis. This clearly points out the lack of awareness/understanding about the disease even within the medical community. So the question arises when you’re diagnosed with a medical condition; where to find the right doctor for treatment?

If you’re someone who is searching for the right endometriosis expert and having a hard time finding one, you’re not alone. It is the struggle many people go through every day. This shortage of endometriosis specialists could be because of many reasons.

First, many young physicians in the field of advanced gynecological surgeries do not start out with endometriosis laparoscopic surgeries as their primary interest. The reason for this could be the general lack of awareness of endometriosis, its volume and its severity. Many young physicians choose other paths because of this.

Second, many OB-GYNs can perform laparoscopic surgeries. However, endometriosis is a whole-body disease. It is found in the rectum, brain, and many other parts of the body. You need a trained eye to see endometriosis in some parts of the body like the diaphragm and lungs. And often a surgeon has to work with a multidisciplinary team to excise the disease, which is something one can do only when they’re looking to specialize in resolving endometriosis.

Third, the lack of dedicated endometriosis centers and support groups – especially in India – leads to lesser participation in medical discussions around endometriosis. This leads us to our next problem.

Four is the lack of awareness. There are very few places in person and online that you can go to for help. This is even true for someone from a country like India where medical advocacy is still pretty unheard of, making finding your physician even harder. This further leads us to our next point.

Five is the lack of research on endometriosis. Today as I write this article we know quite little about endometriosis. We need more research directed in this direction, towards understanding the disease better so there is a faster diagnosis and better cure. More importantly, finding the right doctor becoming easier!

Despite all these troubles I urge people with endometriosis to do extensive research and be stringent in their selection process. Finding the correct doctor with the right amount of expertise and experience might just be the most important step in getting relief from endometriosis once and for all.