"From Machon Puah"

The Puah Conference

In January, the PUAH Institute hosts its annual conference in Jerusalem. Each year, prominent doctors and rabbis are invited to speak at the event, presenting the latest advances in medicine and/or halachic approaches to medical issues to the conference. The conference is one of the largest annual rabbinic conferences in the world and presents a forum for diverse opinions and strategies in dealing with fertility challenges.

This year’s conference, our Tenth, was attended by over 1500 men and women from all walks of life; Rabbis, Rebbitzins, Doctors, Nurses and other medical professionals, Chatan and Kallah teachers - the spectrum of attendees was impressive. Over the next few weeks, we will present the highlights of the conference and presentations which opened with a discussion of endometriosis.

Endometriosis
It is not uncommon for women of all ages to complain of very painful and extended courses of monthly bleeding. Women who present such symptoms are often told that this is normal, especially by their mothers, who may have similar symptoms herself. In some cases the pain can be so severe in that the sufferer is incapacitated for a few days every month.

I recently asked a woman whether she experienced such pain.
“Pain,” she said with a bitter laugh, “It is so painful that I cannot get out of bed.”

At the PUAH Conference, Dr. David Suriano of the Sheba Medical Center reported that these symptoms could be the result of a surprisingly common disease called endometriosis.

Women suffering from this disease have cells that are similar to uterine cells found outside the uterus. These cells, mimicking uterine cells, also bleed during the woman’s monthly period. This can cause infertility if found in certain critical locations in the body, such as on the outside of the ovaries. In rare cases these cells have been found on the lungs, a condition which can be potentially fatal.

Endometriosis is a degenerative disease. As such, it is best to deal with it as early as possible. Therefore, if a teenager complains of such symptoms, we would recommend that she seek medical assistance.

Dr. Suriano described the diagnostic procedure used to identify case of endometriosis. In the procedure, an optic fiber is inserted into the abdomen through a small laproscopic incision. The abdomen is then visually scanned for evidence of endometriotic cells.

The ideal treatment for endometriosis is to limit the number of periods that the patient has. Thus, pregnancy is actually a good form of treatment for the relief of endometriosis symptoms. However, it does not actually cure endometriosis.

Other forms of treatment include the use of contraceptive pills for the relief of symptoms short term. This is then followed up with surgical processes to clean up the loci of the endometriosis (removing the diseased cells). Early detection and treatment of the disease is a paramount key to limiting long term consequences of endometriosis. Dr. Suriano stressed that awareness and the physician’s willingness to refer the patient for diagnostic testing in such cases will greatly aid those suffering from the disease.

The Puah Institute is based in Jerusalem and helps couples from all over the world who are experiencing fertility problems. Puah offers free counseling in five languages, halachic supervision, and educational programs. Offices in Jerusalem, New York, Los Angeles and Paris. Contact: (02) 6515050, (Isr) - 718-336-0603 (US) puahonline.org

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