Women are being forced to travel abroad for endometriosis treatments as Ireland is currently “without the specialist expertise” needed to manage it, according to a Fianna Fáil Senator.

On Lunchtime Live today Lisa Chambers said the disease is having a “huge impact” on women’s lives in Ireland, such as chronic pain and infertility.

Endometriosis affects one in ten women and is caused when tissue, similar to the lining of the uterus, grows on the outside of the uterus.

Senator Chambers said Ireland is “often behind” in treating certain diseases due to its size.

“We are a very small population and sometimes we are missing specialist expertise because of that,” she said.

“We are lacking in specialist endometriosis surgeons that can do all of the work and We know women are continuing to travel abroad for treatments to the UK and mainland Europe because they can’t access it here.

“I’m not a medical professional but if you have it on your pelvic floor or your bowel – you need someone with a certain level of expertise as it can be difficult to access.”

Fianna Fáil Senator Lisa Chambers. Image: Fianna Fáil.

Senator Chambers said Government has made progress on the issue, but more is needed.

“We have a special endometriosis clinic that has opened during this term of Government, but we’re only scratching the surface,” she said.

“We’re still offering ablation which is basically burning off the endometriosis, it’s not cutting out the root which means you have to go back again and again as it grows back and you end up with scar tissue and more pain.”

UK treatment

Dublin singer-songwriter Ruth Anne said she was forced to get treatment for her endometriosis in the UK.

“In the UK there are wide excision specialists, specialist surgeons that can remove endometriosis from anywhere,” she said.

“The problem is in Ireland we have gynecologists who are able to do excision surgery on reproductive organs but someone like me who has endometriosis on the bowel – I needed a wide excision specialist. “

“The problem is women are going in not knowing what surgery they are getting in Ireland as it could be ablation surgery, the laser one, which we now know can cause more pain and lead to more surgeries.”

Continued pain

Ms Anne said she continued to suffer pain following her endometriosis surgery in 2019.

“The pain was very much like labour contractions that can’t go away, I was crippled with it and have had to cancel work over it," she said.

“I went back to my surgeon who performed the wide excision surgery in 2019, which was very successful, and I actually got diagnosed with adenomyosis through an MRI.

“Adenomyosis is endometriosis inside the uterus – it’s very hard to diagnose and very hard to treat.”

Endometriosis Awareness Month is observed every March and aims to educate and shine a light on the disease's effects.

You can listen back here:

Main image: A girl holding her abdomen. Image: Chris Rout / Alamy Stock Photo