When Endometriosis Gets Complicated: Finding the Right Surgeon and Protecting Your Fertility with Dr. Antonio Gargiulo

Can the surgeon you choose for your endometriosis surgery make or break your chances of getting pregnant? In this episode, I'm exploring what happens when endometriosis gets complicated: how to find the right surgeon, why imaging and surgical planning matter, and what it takes to protect your fertility when operating on reproductive organs.

My guest is Dr. Antonio Gargiulo, a reproductive endocrinologist and advanced reproductive surgeon in the Boston area. He has spent nearly three decades at the intersection of fertility and complex gynecologic surgery, with particular expertise in deep endometriosis, fibroids, adenomyosis, and fertility-focused minimally invasive and robotic surgery.

Read the full show notes on Dr. Aimee's website.

In this episode, we cover:

• What makes endometriosis surgery complex and why deep endometriosis can involve other organs
• How imaging and surgical planning can help identify the extent of disease before surgery
• What questions to ask when choosing an endometriosis surgeon
• How your surgeon's experience and approach can affect fertility outcomes
• What we know about surgery for Stage I and II endometriosis and fertility
• How to protect your fertility when endometriosis surgery involves reproductive organs
• Why endometriosis requires long-term management, even after surgery

Resources:

• Dr. Antonio Gargiulo's website: New England Endometriosis
• Dr. Antonio Gargiulo on Instagram @AntonioGargiuloMd
• The Italian Endometriosis Study (1990s)
• The Canadian Endometriosis Study (late 1990s)
• Opoien et al. (2017) — study on Stage I/II endometriosis ablation and IVF live birth rates
• 2019 Cochrane Database Review — GnRH agonist use before embryo transfer in IVF
• AAGL and ASRM recommendations on progestin treatment for endometriosis management

Get your copy of my new book, The Egg Whisperer Way, now available on my website.

Dr. Aimee Eyvazzadeh is one of America's most well known fertility doctors. Her success rate at baby-making is what gives future parents hope when all hope is lost. She pioneered the TUSHY Method and BALLS Method to decrease your time to pregnancy. Learn more about the TUSHY Method and find a wealth of fertility resources at www.draimee.org.