Understanding Endometriosis: An Interview with Dr. Rayan Elkattah

Join us for our first guest episode with Dr. Elkattah. Dr. Elkattah was one of Maddie’s preceptors and biggest mentors. He is truly someone who has spent his career  illuminating the complexity of women’s health and helps to encourage other professionals to all of the component’s that can contribute to pelvic pain and pain with intercourse; More importantly the care and thoughtfulness that women deserve when dealing with these conditions. 

His career started with the desire to bridge the disparity in women’s health, particularly in the Middle East,  starting as an OB/GYN. He then pursued further specialty training in surgical gynecology. Endometriosis has been a huge focus of his career partially due to the lack of understanding and the many lingering questions surrounding this diagnosis. 

With 1 in 10 patients being diagnosed there are countless women affected by this. And statistically, this can take 8-10 visits before a patient even receives this diagnosis. 

We discuss how menstruation should be considered a “fifth” vital sign, meaning that it can tell us a lot about a woman's well being and by far impacts more than just our monthly cycle. 

Listen to hear answers to detailed questions about endometriosis including: 

What is endometriosis and how common is this condition? Theories as to why this condition occurs? Risk factors? What are the alarm symptoms our body shows as a sign of this condition?
What is the impact of endometriosis on the body and surrounding organ symptoms?Symptoms of sexual dysfunction and impact you see in your patients, and also their partners? 
What are women's treatment options? How is this diagnosis confirmed? Where do you see the role of surgical intervention ideally fitting into a women’s management plan? 
What should a woman look for in an endometriosis surgeon? What are current surgical techniques used for endometriosis treatment? Discuss common hypersensitivity symptoms that can occur?  In a woman with endometriosis, who are vital components to her care team? 

Endometriosis is an extremely complicated, untreatable disease. But what we learned from our discussion with Dr. Elkattah is the importance of early detection and treatment and considering a team approach to treating this to give patients the best outcomes possible. 

Another major takeaway for us in the episode, besides all the endo facts and deep dive, is the discussion revolving around the impact our mentors have on us. Amazing mentors are those that open doors for us, push for us to think more critically or bigger, and are by far the best teachers. 

We hope you enjoy this rich and informative discussion on endo and hope you learn something about this condition for yourself or a loved one!

Resources Mentioned:

• The Pelvic People Website
• Ohnut Depth-Limiting Rings
• Endo Warriors Facebook Group
• Beating Endo: How to Reclaim Your Life from Endometriosis
• Nancy's Nook
• Below the Belt Documentary