Endometriosis and infertility
Surgery is more effective for infertility than medicinal intervention in endometriosis. One study has shown that surgical treatment of endometriosis approximately doubles the fecundity (pregnancy rate). The use of medical suppression after surgery for minimal/mild endometriosis has not shown benefits for patients with infertility. Use of fertility medication that stimulates ovulation (clomiphene citrate, gonadotropins) combined with intrauterine insemination (IUI) enhances fertility in these patients.
Linda Griffith
Griffith currently directs the Center for Gynepathology Research (CGR) at MIT, which she launched in 2009 together with Dr. Keith Isaacson, Director of the Newton-Wellesley Hospital Center for Minimally Invasive Gynecology Surgery. The public launch featured a passionate talk by the celebrity host of Bravo's Top Chef, Padma Lakshmi, who suffered for over a decade with endometriosis before being diagnosed. Lakshmi co-founded the Endometriosis Foundation of America (EFA) to raise awareness of the disease, especially among college students. Lakshmi's experience underscored that of Griffith's own 16-year-old niece, who was diagnosed with endometriosis after suffering years of debilitating pain, which had been attributed to "stress" instead of to a treatable disease. The average delay between onset of symptoms and diagnosis of endometriosis is about ten years; Griffith's niece was diagnosed with less delay only because a family member with the disease insisted she see a gynecological surgeon who specializes in treating endometriosis. The CGR now has over 10 participating faculty at MIT and collaborates with surgeons and scientists in Brazil, Singapore, and across the US. Griffith was honored at the EFA's annual Blossom Ball in NYC in 2010 for her efforts to raise awareness about endometriosis among scientists and engineers.