Billed as the first Endometriosis Summit, a town hall-style meeting hosted by medical device company Lumenis is expected to gather patients and practitioners for a day that covers the latest in endometriosis therapies and care.
The summit is planned for March 3 in Hoboken, New Jersey.
“We’re thrilled to introduce the Endometriosis Summit to bring patients and physicians together to discuss the future of endometriosis diagnosis and therapy, and we feel very encouraged by companies like Lumenis that are supporting awareness and the endometriosis care journey,” event co-chair Sallie Sarrel, PT, ATC, DPT, said in a news release.
“This is a very exciting time for the endometriosis community, where awareness is surging alongside new laser excision technology that makes minimally invasive, complete endometriosis treatment possible. We’re looking forward to hearing a diversity of perspectives on this disease.”
Endometriosis is a painful disorder in which tissue that normally lines the inside of the uterus grows outside of it. The disease affects the ovaries, fallopian tubes and pelvic tissue, and 10 percent of American women of childbearing age have it, according to Endometriosis Foundation of America.
Non-surgical treatment options include pain medications, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines, birth control, diet change, and regular exercise. Surgical remedy usually includes either laparoscopic excision, in which lesions are removed by insertion of a small camera through small body incisions, or organ removal.
Summit host Lumenis offers FiberLase, thought to be the only high-power CO2 laser fiber. Combining that technology with its advanced CO2 laser, surgeons are able to perform minimally invasive operations to treat endometriosis, easing pain symptoms while maintaining fertility — a primary goal for many patients, Lumenis said.
“The summit’s ‘town hall’ approach is a perfect reflection of our company’s goals, which include both working with top physicians to develop CO2 laser excision and ablation approaches for endometriosis, as well as partnering with endometriosis patients and helping them talk to their doctors and learn more about the disease through Gynhealth.com,” said Tzipi Ozer-Armon, Lumenis chief executive officer.
Tickets for the event, which includes meals, range from $15 to $70, and can be purchased here. Livestreaming of the meeting may be viewed on Lumenis’ Facebook page.
Panels will include building a referral network for proper disease treatment; examining the origins and paradigms of endometriosis; fertility and endometriosis;, a discussion about multiple causes of pain in patients; when to choose excision; how to address pain post-excision; and the critical role of advocacy in disease management.
The summit will also cover safety, sexuality and gender inclusivity among the patient population; recognizing disease signs and symptoms; how to navigate diagnosis as a patient or practitioner; the autoimmune component of fertility; the gut microbiome connection; and the role of the central nervous system, bladder and occult hernias. The full program can be viewed on the Endometriosis Summit’s website.
Featured speakers include Heather Guidone, surgical program director of the Center for Endometriosis Care; Andrea Vidali, who specializes in the treatment and diagnosis of endometriosis; and Sarrel, a pelvic physical therapist specializing in endometriosis.