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5.5 million American women suffer daily from a mysterious disease called Endometriosis On the outside, women suffering from endometriosis look healthy, but inside are tortured by pain, and commonly misdiagnosed by their doctors. Los Gatos, CA, November 1, 2007 – Endometriosis and Chronic Pelvic Pain can be even more devastating than cancer. Physically and emotionally, the pain of endometriosis can cripple the ability of women and teens to lead a normal life. Endometriosis is a progressive and debilitating disease, impacting the lives of an estimated 5.5 million women and teenage girls in the U.S. Statistics reveal that endometriosis is more common than AIDS and cancer. Studies indicate that 30 to 40 percent of women with endometriosis are infertile, and many suffered painful periods as teens. An estimated 77 million women worldwide have endometriosis. The most common symptom of endometriosis is PAIN –painful periods, pain during ovulation, painful bowel movements, and painful sex. Other symptoms can include infertility, irregular periods, diarrhea, fatigue, leg and back pain, and abdominal bloating. Many women suffering from endometriosis can’t explain what endometriosis is. They can’t describe it, because they don’t understand it. Even for a doctor, endometriosis poses formidable diagnostic and surgical challenges. Because many of the symptoms of endometriosis are similar to those of other conditions, it is frequently misdiagnosed. In addition to the reproductive system, other systems often affected by the disease are the lungs, intestines, diaphragm, bladder and ureter. "In my career as a gynecologist and reproductive endocrinologist, I have met and successfully treated thousands of women suffering from serious pelvic pain. Often they had tried all types of treatments, including several surgeries, to no avail. I wanted to help, and have devoted my career as a doctor to understanding and treating endometriosis and pelvic pain," says Andrew S. Cook, M.D., FACOG. "Neither I nor my team of health care professionals at Vital Health Institute have all the answers," states Dr. Cook. "I can, however, say that the only definite way to diagnose endometriosis is through minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery." Dr. Cook believes that early diagnosis and treatment is the key to limiting the impact of the disease on a patient's life. "As any one who suffers from endometriosis and pelvic pain will tell you, going from doctor to doctor, year after year, having surgery after surgery without resolution of symptoms is all to common and simply unacceptable," says Dr. Cook. "I believe that successful treatment of the endometriosis patient involves two distinctly different areas: (1) complete removal of the endometrial implants at surgery, and (2) post-surgery medical treatment of the patient to restore her overall health, including the immune system and hormonal balance, with the best of both traditional and alternative medicine." Dr. Cook is world renowned for his pioneering, aggressive and successful treatment of endometriosis. According to Dr. Cook, "The most important aspect of successful surgical treatment is the skill and experience of the surgeon. I believe that the core concept in effective surgical treatment of endometriosis is complete removal of the disease from the body. Any cells remaining after surgery will continue to grow, resulting in an eventual recurrence of symptoms. This is not to say that there is a cure for endometriosis – there is not. But, it is important to differentiate between true recurrence which is very low, perhaps 15% over 5 years, and persistence of endometriosis as a result of incomplete treatment." About Vital Health Institute Press release written by Valerie Foster. For more information or to arrange an interview with Dr. Cook, contact Sarah Sherwood at sarah@sherwoodcommunications.com or 650-380-9102. |
