EndoSure, Inc. forwarded an enquiry from a lady in the Midlands, wanting to know if the EndoSure Test was available in the U.K. We made contact with the lady, who was a mother trying to find a diagnostic test for her young daughter, who she strongly suspected had endometriosis. We sent details of the EndoSure Test for the mother to discuss with their G.P. but she received a negative response. So, we arranged for the daughter to have the test and for the result to be interpreted by David Griffiths, a respected gynaecologist in Swindon. Mr. Griffiths confirmed and communicated a positive test for endometriosis and as a consequence, the G.P. has initiated a treatment plan. The EndoSure Test has facilitated a treatment pathway for this young lady, who statistically, may have had to wait 8 years for a diagnosis.
“My daughter started her periods at age 11 and progressively over the years her menstrual pain has been getting worse and worse, like she is confined to her bed for at least a couple of days. We had repeatedly been to the GP about this, but you always get dismissed and put on pills. They did send her for an ultrasound scan but that came back negative, but my daughter was still suffering so mum had to do some Dr Googling and research and that’s how I came across EndoSure. When i contacted them through the site they were very quick with their response
and told me that there was a trial happening but when we saw the GP about trying to get on the trial we got shot down and told there is no need to find out till my daughter wants to have children but you want to know what is causing this pain etc when I told EndoSure this they went above and beyond and let us have the test anyway. Beth was lovely and very professional, and the test only took around half an hour in total silence so it could read her body (which totally killed her no phone for 30 mins). As soon as we got the results which was a couple of days later, we booked a GP appointment and the GP did her research on EndoSure and said that the private sector is all over this and she was very thorough and explained everything and all of the options and we have been put on the waiting list for gynaecology. So now it’s a waiting game but without EndoSure I am sure we would still be banging our heads.
Mr Griffiths is a senior gynaecologist with more than 25 years of consultant experience and sees patients in Wiltshire, the surrounding areas and the South West. He also consults with international patients and those seeking a second opinion. Mr Griffiths completed his formative training in the Midlands winning many prizes and awards. His first fellowship was in infertility and IVF at St James’s University Hospital, Leeds. Following a competitive process he was awarded a 12 month funded Fellowship to Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA to undertake research on the pelvic floor and incontinence with the world’s first erect fast MRI scanner. Before taking up his NHS Consultant post he also worked at the Center for Endometriosis Care, Atlanta, Georgia and various hospitals in New Zealand. His specialist interests are menstrual disorders, pelvic pain & endometriosis.
The EndoSure Test is a new non-invasive test for endometriosis. Before, we had to rely on surgical investigations, which took months to organise. The surgery is performed under a general anaesthetic, and there is a two to three week recovery period. Sometimes, endometriosis is not recognised. Now, we have the Endosure Test, which takes about 40 minutes, and the results are available immediately.
Well, endometriosis is such a common condition, with one in eight women affected, and it is well-recognised that many women wait seven years or more for a diagnosis. Patients will likely have had numerous consultations and more tests in those seven years. Many attend casualty with flares of pain and are investigated with scans. I saw a young lady the other day who had seen many doctors and had numerous trips to casualty with pelvic pain. She had seen a bowel doctor in the past and was treated for IBS. Her test was strongly positive for endometriosis, and she was so overwhelmed that she finally had a diagnosis. We were then able to put her on a pathway to resolving her symptoms.
It is a very simple and straightforward test. We ask that the patient avoid eating for 8 hours beforehand. On the morning of the test, we place electrode pads on the lower abdomen and take an electrical reading of the bowel, which is very similar to a heart reading. We give the patient some water to drink to stimulate the bowel and then record for 30 minutes while the patient lies still.
The electrical readings are interpreted to determine whether the patient has endometriosis and to what severity.
There are several centres around the country now offering the Endosure Test.