Endometriosis
What is Endometriosis?
Although you may not have heard of it, many people may be surprised to hear just how common endometriosis is. It’s estimated that as many as 1 in 10 women worldwide may be affected by the condition. Endometriosis is a serious women’s health issue that often goes unrecognized.
It is a chronic disease that often begins in the teenage years, and our philosophy at the Endometriosis & Pelvic Pain Center is to provide women with a long-term treatment plan.
But what causes endometriosis? When the lining of the uterus (the endometrium) is shed during menstruation, some cells attach to areas outside of the uterine cavity. These cells can cause pain, and are particularly active during a woman’s menstrual cycle.
Over time, the irritation caused by these cells can create scar-like tissue called adhesions that can twist and tie a woman’s organs into unnatural positions, causing severe pain. While some women never show any signs of endometriosis, the condition can also cause the following symptoms:
These symptoms can overlap with other issues like irritable bowel syndrome or back pain, which can delay a diagnosis. Women will often see other specialists, including urologists, gastroenterologists, orthopedists, or a genitourinary doctor before endometriosis is diagnosed.
We strive to treat endometriosis in the least intrusive way possible. If surgery is a necessary part of treatment, most patients at our center can be treated with laparoscopy by our expert surgical team. Dr. McGuirk is one of the few surgeons in the world specialized in restorative techniques used to both diagnose and treat endometriosis within the same procedure.
Newark Office
4735 Ogletown-Stanton Road
MAP 2, Suite 3217
Newark, DE 19713
Dover Office
Eden Hill Medical Center
200 Banning Street, Suite #240
Dover, DE 19904
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