Living with endometriosis for more than 20 years took a toll on Mimi’s health and well-being. The scar tissue invading her healthy tissue and organs also infiltrated everyday life. Severe pain, bleeding and fatigue meant missing her daughter’s events, volunteer work and family time.
“There were days when I felt like my insides were pulled in different directions and I was doubled over in bed in a fetal position,” Mimi recalled. “I couldn’t take my daughter to school or other activities. It made me miss out on a big part of my life.”
Endometriosis is a condition that causes tissue similar to the uterine lining to grow outside of the uterus, causing sharp, stabbing pelvic pain. The condition affects more than 6.5 million women in the U.S., or around 11 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office on Women’s Health.
Mimi tried different pain medications and hormonal treatments but nothing kept the pain at bay. Surgery to remove her endometriosis was an option, but as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, she couldn’t accept blood transfusions or blood products. Many of the doctors she turned to for help declined to perform surgery because they felt her religious beliefs could affect care outcomes.
She said her prayers were answered when she met Dr. Martin Martino, a gynecologic oncology surgeon at St. Vincent's Riverside who has performed over 3,000 robotic-assisted gynecological surgeries. He told her he had experience helping patients with endometriosis and would be willing to help her.
“Robotic-assisted surgery is often performed through a minimally-invasive approach, leading to reduced blood loss, less infection, lower complications and faster recovery,” Martino said. “With robotic surgery, we have the ability to see the surgical field in 3D and have instruments that allow for us to have wrist articulation, allowing patients to experience significantly less pain and blood loss than other surgical procedures.”
During most surgeries, when needed, blood loss is replaced with blood given by a donor. With a bloodless surgical approach, techniques are employed to spare as much blood as possible. Preparing for bloodless surgery requires a coordinated approach between Dr. Martino, anesthesiologists, nurses, and the surgical and care teams.
The morning of Mimi’s surgery, Dr. Martino and Nicole Antenucci, a physician assistant, visited her in the preoperative room.
“They held my hand and let me know that they were going to be there for me every step of the way,” she said. “I went into surgery with a smile on my face and peace in my heart.”
Now, nearly two months after her surgery, Mimi is living a pain-free life, full of hope for the future.
“I was in a lot of pain with hemorrhaging, dizziness and headaches for over two decades,” she said. “This is what it feels like to start feeling really good. I’m grateful to Ascension St. Vincent’s for being sensitive to my beliefs and treating me with respect.”
For more information on bloodless surgery, call Ascension Medical Group St. Vincent's Center for Gynecologic Oncology and Advanced Women's Health at 904-308-1350.