Cedars-Sinai Highlights Advances in Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery

Cedars-Sinai experts in minimally invasive gynecologic surgery (MIGS) will share new research, surgical innovations and advances in patient care at the 55th AAGL Global Congress on MIGS Nov. 13-16 in Boston.

The scientific meeting brings together experts from around the world to share advances in medical and surgical management of noncancerous pelvic and reproductive disorders and women's health. Cedars-Sinai presentations will focus on endometriosis, painful menstrual cramps in teens and uterine-sparing surgical treatments.

Kelly Wright, MD, director of the Division of Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery and vice chair of Gynecology at Cedars-Sinai, will challenge the longstanding reliance on surgery to treat endometriosis in the featured MED Talk, "Why Excision Surgery Hurts Women."

Endometriosis affects approximately 1 in 10 women of reproductive age, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. The condition occurs when tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the organ, causing debilitating inflammation and pain that can affect multiple body systems.

"For decades, gynecologic surgeons have taken endometriosis seriously and recognized women’s pain. But our reliance on surgery has limited how we think about treating this complex disease," Wright said. "We need to move beyond viewing endometriosis as a disease of a single organ and approach it as a systemic inflammatory condition. That shift could open the door to new therapies and reduce the need for repeated surgeries."

Presentations by other Cedars-Sinai MIGS specialists will highlight new findings on how teens with painful menstrual cramps are at risk for more serious gynecologic conditions, the safety of common procedures and innovative surgical techniques to improve patient outcomes.

Cedars-Sinai MIGS Experts Available for Interviews

Raanan Meyer, MD, director of Cedars-Sinai's Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery Research Program, and Maya Shats, MD, can discuss new findings linking severe menstrual cramps during adolescence to increased risk of infertility, hysterectomy, chronic pelvic pain and other conditions later in life.

Kacey Hamilton, MD, medical director of Simulation for Obstetrics and Gynecology at Cedars-Sinai, and Maya Shats, MD, can discuss individualized surgical approaches for women with adenomyosis, a painful condition in which tissue similar to the uterine lining grows into the muscular wall of the uterus.

Liron Bar-El, MD, who specializes in complex gynecologic surgery and endometriosis care, can discuss the diagnosis and treatment of a rare complication of fibroid surgery in which an abnormal pouch develops in the uterine wall, causing pain and abnormal bleeding.

Ogechukwu Ezike, MD, can discuss a rare, benign malformation of the lymph nodes called retroperitoneal lymphangioma. The condition often mimics other disorders such as ovarian tumors, endometriosis or blocked fallopian tubes.

Connie Liao, MD, will offer a video presentation on an effective minimally invasive procedure, hysteroscopic metroplasty, to treat a T-shaped uterus, a rare malformation linked to recurrent pregnancy loss and infertility.

Media Contact

To arrange interviews, contact Laura Coverson at 310-562-1112 or [email protected].