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Our Endometriosis Treatment Process

When women come to us for treatment of their endometriosis we are committed to their ongoing care and recovery. For this reason, Vital Health provides a unique program of pre-operative, post-operative and follow-up care that sets us apart from other endometriosis treatment centers, where the care stops at the post-op consult.

We want our patients to go into surgery feeling fully prepared and confident about the decision they are making. For this reason, pre-operative care includes:

  • A personal phone call from our nurse practitioner or physician’s assistant before you come to us for surgery. She will answer any of your questions and will ensure that you are completely ready when you come to us for surgery.
  • Extensive pre-operative in-office consult with Dr. Cook. Vital Health patients see Dr. Cook for an extensive pre-operative appointment prior to surgery (for most patients this will mean an appointment timeframe of approx two hours in the office, depending on the complexity of your case).  This makes for a far more relaxed pre-operative experience and ensures you are truly ready and can focus on the surgery that lies ahead with confidence.
  • Prescriptions for post-op pain medications are filed prior to surgery. There is nothing worse than having to stand in line at the pharmacy to get your prescriptions just after you have had surgery. We ensure that our patients have their post-op pain medication prescriptions ahead of surgery so that the medications are there when you need them.
  • Overnight stay following surgery. All patients are kept overnight following their procedure with Dr. Cook (patients undergoing complex surgery remain in the hospital for longer if required). Many centers rush patients home following surgery, which can be stressful and can compromise optimal pain management. Keeping you in overnight enables us to observe you during those first hours post-op, to provide expert pain management to ensure you are comfortable and to give you the best start on your way to a smooth, stress-free recovery.
  • Dr. Cook visits the patient and her family/accompanying person(s) after surgery. After surgery, Dr. Cook will speak with you and/or the people accompanying you (friends, family or partner) to provide an update about the procedure you underwent.
  • We are on hand to help you if there are any issues with your immediate post-operative recovery. While you will be seen in the office by Dr. Cook the week following your procedure, we are always just a phone call away should you have any issues or questions post-op. Our Nurse Practitioner or Physician’s Assistant will also schedule a call following surgery to check-in on how you are doing and to answer any questions or concerns you may have. There is no such thing as a silly question – we want you to be comfortable, relaxed and at ease during your post-operative recovery.
  • Full transparency about the surgery you underwent. We provide our patients with their surgery photos during their post-op consult so that Dr. Cook can go through your surgery with you in detail and explain exactly what was done while you were asleep. Understanding the treatment you received is a vital part of both coming to terms with what you have just been through but also in allowing you to make fully informed decisions about your ongoing care and recovery. For those patients who are interested in receiving a full copy of their surgery footage, this is available on request on DVD.

After surgery we offer all patients follow-up care to address any issues or concerns relating to their surgery, for a period of one year. To our knowledge, no other endometriosis center in the world offers a comparable level of post-operative care and follow-up to its patients. The ongoing care begins with a call from the Clinical Staff ( NP or PA ) at 2 weeks post-op. You are then scheduled for further check-ins at 6 weeks, 3 months; and continuing post-op progress follow up at 6 months, 9 months and 12 months following surgery.  We conduct an ongoing study of your progress and you may voluntarily participate or decline … More information on our study will be available on our Resource Section in the coming months.  Should any issues arise during the first year following surgery, you are welcome to contact us for help and assistance and we will do our best to address your needs as fully as possible.

At Vital Health we do not just want our patients to do well, we want them to flourish. Addressing the complex and varied health needs of women with endometriosis benefits from an open-minded approach to care. While surgery to fully remove the lesions of endometriosis is a critical step toward healing, the effects of chronic illness and pain are often further reaching. Our unique comprehensive integrated program of traditional western and alternative therapies combined with our meticulous ongoing patient follow-up care provides our patients with the very best chance of not only recovering from endometriosis but also flourishing in a new lease of vitality.

For a detailed looked at the care we offer, refer to the Surgery Timeline.

It was a breath of fresh air to speak with Dr. Cook and his staff and have them actually get my condition and want to help.
-Mandi

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Our Endometriosis Treatment Process
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Our Endometriosis Treatment Process - When women come to us for treatment of their endometriosis we are committed to their ongoing care and recovery.