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A New Centre for Women With Endometriosis Opens In Adelaide

Author : Sheryl Klingner
Source : Burnside Hospital
Date : Wed 29th May 2002

Endometriosis Care Centre of Australia (ECCA) - Adelaide brings together a team of gynaecologists specialising in the diagnosis and surgical management of women with endometriosis using laparoscopic or ‘keyhole’ surgery techniques.

Women attending the ECCA clinic, located in the Attunga Medical Centre within the hospital campus, will also receive ongoing support from a nurse counsellor who has specific training in this area.

ECCA specialists will work with medical practitioners in related disciplines such as urologists, bowel surgeons and pain management specialists, together with accredited alternative health practitioners committed to supporting women with this distressing condition.

Up to 10 per cent of women suffer from endometriosis, a condition in which the cells that normally line the uterus, occur and grow on nearby organs such as ovaries, the fallopian tubes, bladder and bowel.

Endometriosis is the most common cause of chronic pain in women aged between 15 and 50 years and is present in 25 per cent of women with fertility problems. It is a major cause of absenteeism from school and the workplace during the reproductive years.

According to ECCA spokesperson, Dr Susan Evans, it can take an average of six years for the condition to be diagnosed. Endometriosis has a low profile in the community compared to diseases such as asthma, which affects one in ten Australians.

"Women attending the centre will have the opportunity to see a gynaecologist trained in endometriosis surgery, and the ECCA nurse counsellor", Dr Evans said.

"When needed, women can also be referred to health professionals allied to the ECCA centre. These may include a dietitian, chinese medicine practitioner, physiotherapist, massage therapist, or medical practitioners from related specialties."

"This interdisciplinary team approach aims to provide optimal outcomes tailored to each individual woman's needs in a setting that she will find supportive and effective."

The ECCA website, www.ecca.com.au, is also a valuable resource for women who want general information about endometriosis.

Professor Carl Wood co-founded the Endometriosis Care Centre of Australia (ECCA) in 1998 to raise the community’s awareness of endometriosis, promote research into the condition, and provide optimal care for women who may have the disease.

ECCA is now one of six such centres nationally and will provide resources, education and training aimed at raising awareness of endometriosis within the general and medical communities. It will also have access to research, including clinical trials.

For more information, women can contact the centre on (08) 8407 8585.

The establishment of ECCA has further enhanced Burnside Hospital’s commitment to becoming a centre of excellence in women’s health in this State.

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