I was in agony every month from endometriosis until a simple snip changed my life

Delighted: Lisa with Sinead and baby Ciaran

Greater than 2 million women in great britan are afflicted by endometriosis, where cells in the womb grow elsewhere in your body. It is the chief reason for infertility.

Treatment usually involves laser surgery, but Lisa Donnelly, 36, went through a brand new procedure.

Here Lisa, an instructor from Birmingham, informs LUCY ELKINS about her experience and her surgeon describes the strategy.

The Individual

When I had been identified with endometriosis, I had been just like a zombie. My signs and symptoms, which started as periodic period-like pains, acquired over 2 yrs right into a constant stabbing discomfort within my abdomen and legs.

Not just maybe it was agonising, but my periods were really heavy and my mood shifts so awful sometimes I figured I would boil with rage. My hubby Brendan frequently needed to bear the brunt of the.

I had been also exhausted. It might struck me in the center of your day and I'd have to lie around the sofa for hrs - even at the office. With pain relievers not doing anything to assist, existence was becoming intolerable.

Despite trying for any baby, 2 yrs had passed without any luck, although I did not link this to my other issues at that time.

My GP was mystified and that i saw several consultants prior to being identified with endometriosis in 2000.

The consultant described that cells much like individuals within the lining from the womb grow elsewhere in your body.

Every month these thicken and bleed, leading to scarring - and discomfort.

I had been told it could affect my fertility, particularly if I'd scarring throughout my fallopian tubes or sex gland.

Even worse, there is no cure as lengthy when i had periods, each cycle urged the endometriosis to develop.

In June 2001, I'd private surgery to laser away the scarring within my sex gland and abdomen.

However the discomfort returned having a vengeance after just three several weeks. It had been devastating.

Then my consultant explained in regards to a new keyhole technique which snips away, instead of lasers, the endometriosis.

It had been showing up to possess a better lengthy-term success because a lot of tissue might be removed.

He added the operation would certainly increase my possibility of getting children. And That I was assured the strategy was relatively risk-free.

Following the operation, I had been in additional discomfort compared to the laser skin treatment, but by six days later, the transformation was dramatic.

I'd a existence again. I still had slight period pains and also the odd little bit of PMT, but nothing beats before. I felt calm and energetic - it had been wonderful.

For beginning a household, I figured IVF could be our only option. However in The month of january 2004, I began feeling really tired again.

I had been afraid the endometriosis had came back. I Quickly discovered I had been pregnant, and Sinead was created in September 2004.

We felt fortunate to possess one child and did not dare expect another, but last June I came across I had been expecting again.

Baby Ciaran has become two several weeks old. I have heard that having a baby cure endometriosis, so I am hopeful Ciaran might get it done for me personally.

Even when it will return, I'd possess the surgery again inside a shot since it changed my existence.

Choices

Mr Chris Mann is consultant gynaecologist in the Body mass index Priory Hospital in Birmingham and Droitwich, and also at the NHS Wolverhampton New Mix Hospital. He states:

The primary trouble with endometriosis would be that the 'rogue' tissue can stay with other organs every month throughout a menstrual period the tissue becomes inflamed be responsible for the development of scarring.

Nobody knows why some women get endometriosis. It may occur anywhere in your body - most generally round the sex gland as well as in the abdomen, but I have even seen it within the nose.

It is a major reason for infertility as this extra tissue can block the fallopian tubes or sex gland, and it's not easy to identify because the signs and symptoms for example nausea, leg discomfort and back discomfort will not always accompany the menstrual period.

Consequently, women are often offered simply pain relievers.

Today, a laser can be used to lose off scarring, however, many patients find their signs and symptoms return.

An alternate may be the radical excision technique, that we developed within this country, getting learned it in France.

It enables a lot of tissue to become cut away than the usual laser, which frequently just removes the top tissue.

Within this new procedure, we really get rid of the unhealthy tissue which appears to prevent more developing later on. The process is forget about dangerous or painful. People are also playing hardly any skin damage.

With endometriosis within the sex gland or abdomen, as with Lisa's situation, single-2cm cut is created so a camera could be placed in to the navel for any obvious look at the abdomen. Then i create a 1cm cut just above either stylish bone.

A set of graspers, that are like forceps, adopts one cut to carry the scarring. A set of surgical scissors is placed in to the other hole to chop the tissue away.

When the tissue is taken away, the little bloodstream ships are burnt to avoid bleeding. The removed tissue is lifted out piece by piece through the incisions. The operation typically takes an hour or so.

About 80 percent of patients need no further treatment.

Even when the very first attempt is not effective, another more often than not is.

Women with endometriosis really don't need to suffer anymore.

• The operation costs the NHS around ?2,000. Independently, it'll cost you between ?3,000 and ?5,000.