Endometriosis centres?

[starflower]

Hi girls,

What is the difference between an endometriosis centre and a local hospital with no endometriosis centre in it? I would be very grateful for your answers. Love Starflower x

[hayls]

Hi

The difference is huge -

A BSGE accredited endo centre with be operated by gynaes and colorectal surgeons that are specialised in endo and have past the accreditation process - specific to treating endo, nit general gynaecology. They will be experienced in surgical treatment of severe endo and complications etc and will operate on current best practice for endo etc. When it comes to surgery, they will also have the specialist equipment to complete complex excision etc.

Gynaes at local hospitals that are not BSGE accredited endo centres will have some knowledge of endo and will be capable of carrying out diagnostic laps and treating minor cases but won't have the expertise to treat women with stage 3-4 endo, recto endo or any other complex endo patients and won't be sufficiently experienced to successfully carry out surgical treatment for stage 3-4 endo, most likely won't do excision surgery and won't have the necessary theatre equipment and unlikely to have any actual endo specialised gynaes or colorectal surgeons.

Currently, the BSGE guidelines/best practice provides for all patients who are diagnosed with severe endo in a diagnostic lap to be referred to an accredited endo centre for treatment - however I know that gynaes aren't always forthcoming in actually going straight to the referral!

Basically, if you have stage 3-4 endo you really really need to push to be under the care of a BSGE accredited endo centre, my nearest is over 100 miles away but there's no way I would agree to be treated at my local hospital instead, they simply don't have the required expertise.

Hope this helps x

[starflower in reply to hayls]

Thank you so much for this information, as I will go ahead with the referral. My centre is provisional, but it is heading in that direction. You are a gem, and a great help. Thank you once again. Love Starflower x

[Impatient]

Provisional or Accredited should be following the same procedures - so should be fine. It is only recently that the website listed the provisionals, and they wouldn't do that if they didn't have expectations that the prov' endo centre was on target for full accreditation.

Basically these endo centres bring together various surgeons specialising in bowel, and bladder as well as the gynaes, all with expertise in endo surgery on their specialist parts of the body. That's they key to getting a lot more done in one op. Having all the right people there for the op. Best of Luck.

[starflower]

Thank you impatient for that, as it is greatly appreciated. Love starflower x

[starflower]

I have now been referred to an provisional endometriosis centre, so thank you girls for your advice. Love starflower xxxxx