Specialist Endometriosis Care in Pretoria
Endometriosis deserves to be taken seriously.
Painful periods, pelvic pain, pain during intercourse, bowel or bladder symptoms and fertility difficulties can have a significant impact on everyday life.
For some patients, symptoms have been present for years before endometriosis is identified.
For others, the condition is discovered while investigating fertility.
Dr Dries Potgieter has a particular focus on endometriosis and minimally invasive endoscopic surgery, including the management of complex and severe disease.
Endometriosis does not look the same in every patient
Some women experience severe symptoms.
Others have relatively few symptoms despite significant disease.
The severity of pain does not always tell us how extensive endometriosis may be, and fertility concerns can sometimes be present even when pain is not the main problem.
This is why assessment needs to consider the whole clinical picture.
Specialist assessment
Your endometriosis consultation may include discussion of:
- period pain and pelvic pain;
- bowel or bladder symptoms;
- pain during intercourse;
- previous imaging;
- previous endometriosis treatment or surgery;
- previous operative reports;
- fertility goals;
- previous fertility treatment; and
- how symptoms are affecting your quality of life.
Further investigation may be recommended depending on your history and findings.
Surgery is not automatically required simply because endometriosis is suspected.
Treatment is individual
Treatment may involve medical management, fertility planning, surgery or a combination of approaches.
The right option depends on your symptoms, disease pattern, fertility plans, previous treatment and personal priorities.
For patients with complex or severe endometriosis, specialist surgical planning becomes particularly important.