When Dr. Sallie Sarrel, a person with endometriosis and a pelvic physical therapist specializing in endometriosis, and Dr. Andrea Vidali, an endometriosis surgeon with more than 25+ years of experience with excision of endometriosis and reproductive immunology, got fed up with the current state of endometriosis care the result was The Endometriosis Summit.
The Endometriosis Summit has three core beliefs:
1. No one should suffer from pain due to lack of access to care or lack of education on endometriosis and all of its associated pain conditions.
2. The average diagnostic delay of 8-10 years for people with endometriosis is too long. It is time for accurate, unbiased information and research about endometriosis to be disseminated everywhere. The standard of care for endometriosis care needs to change. Endometriosis care must include excision of the disease at its root with a multi-specialist team if needed, and multi-disciplinary care like pelvic physical therapy and nutritional therapy. Pelvic Pain is multi-faceted and takes a multi-faceted approach. A hysterectomy does not cure endometriosis. Minimizing and gaslighting people with pelvic pain is no longer acceptable. Very real physical concerns deserve very real physical answers. Insurance coding needs to be amended to reflect the complexity of endometriosis care and help to further endometriosis education for patient and practitioner.
3. Endometriosis and Pelvic Pain care must be inclusive to everyone regardless of age, race, sexual orientation, gender, or socioeconomic status. Respecting the patient includes respecting their fertility choices, desire to live a healthy and active life, and committing to being on the journey of wellness together in the therapeutic relationship.
The time to unite is here. Everyone affected by endometriosis, more than 200 million worldwide and everyone who surrounds that 200 million, has a voice. Together let’s stop the minimization, myths, and misinformation to change endometriosis for everyone. The Endometriosis Summit’s Annual Town Meeting joins patients and practitioners on even footing to learn from each other without facades.
