Consultation
for endometriosis
When should you consult IFEM Endo?
Patients with confirmed diagnosis
If you already have a confirmed diagnosis of endometriosis, established by an MRI or other specialized imaging test, we can offer you a personalized consultation tailored to your situation.
Our consultations are particularly reserved for women with severe forms of the disease, involving the digestive tract, urinary tract, diaphragm or sacral roots. Patients with severe forms of the disease sometimes require complex, lengthy and difficult operations, which expose them to numerous per- and post-operative risks, and we aim to put our expertise at their service as a matter of priority.
Nevertheless, all patients suffering from endometriosis are welcome at IFEM Endo, even if their radiological examination does not show severe endometriosis, or their MRI had been interpreted as normal. Our aim is to offer a personalized care plan, surgical or non-surgical, to meet patients' expectations, thanks to our multidisciplinary team.
With a few exceptions, we do not seepatients who have recently undergone surgery in other institutions and whose surgery has been deemed complete (3-6 months ago), who do not consider themselves sufficiently improved by the surgery they have undergone, who wish to have a second opinion on the treatment carried out, or who simply wish to have information on endometriosis in general. We consider that the surgeons who performed the surgery are best placed to provide answers to all their questions, at least during the first year after surgery.
Patients with no formal diagnosis or without MRI
If you have symptoms suggestive of endometriosis, but do not yet have an endometriosis MRI, you can also request an appointment.
You may be offered an initial consultation to assess your clinical situation, discuss the necessary tests and establish a suitable course of treatment.
To diagnose endometriosis, please contact your GP, gynecologist or midwife in a general practice. Regional representatives of the EndoFrance association can also provide support and guidance.
Make an appointment at
Toobtain an appointment, you must provide us with the results of a pelvic MRI confirming endometriosis, or send us the CD of the examination so that it can be re-read by the center's doctors.
Our secretaries will also ask you to answer a few questions that will enable us to set up an appointment for the most appropriate and personalized consultation for your situation, as quickly as possible.
We will also ask you to complete an administrative form, which will enable us to schedule your appointment.
If the doctors at the center consider that the practitioner you have chosen is not the most specialized in the type of endometriosis you have, you will be offered an appointment with another doctor, and the reasons will be explained.
Entering data on the NO ENDO platform
Once the appointment has been made, a clinical research associate will contact you to ask you to log on to the NO ENDO platform. To this end, she will provide you with a login that will enable you to create your file.
On the NO ENDO platform, you will be asked to provide information about your medical, surgical and obstetrical history, as well as your endometriosis-related symptoms. You will also be asked to complete several questionnaires to measure the impact of endometriosis on your overall quality of life, and more specifically on digestive, urinary and sexual functions.
In the case of surgery, doctors also complete a questionnaire containing intra-operative data and the procedures performed.
You will then be asked to complete follow-up questionnaires 1, 3, 5, 7 and 10 years later.
This step is particularly important for at least 3 reasons:
- During your first consultation, your doctor will take a comprehensive view of your endometriosis-related condition, without overlooking the smallest detail.
- You'll be able to access your file on the platform at any time, with longitudinal and long-term monitoring, even if you decide to take your treatment elsewhere at a later date.
- Anonymous data are used for clinical research into endometriosis, via the IFEM Endo cohort, which includes all patients who have consulted or undergone surgery at our center. These data can be combined with those of patients from other centers participating in NO ENDO, to create a national cohort of patients followed for endometriosis in France.
The creation of the NO ENDO platform, on the initiative of Pr Nicolas Bourdel of the Clermont-Ferrand University Hospital, represents a major step forward in the management of endometriosis in France, and we're delighted to give you the opportunity to benefit from it.
By December 2023, over 7,000 patients followed by our team were registered on the NOENDO platform.
How does the consultation work?
Consultations can sometimes be lengthy, depending on the complexity of a patient's clinical history. For this reason, delays are always possible. If you don't live in Bordeaux, it's advisable not to book a train or return flight within 4 to 5 hours of the consultation time.
During this interview, the doctor will ask you about your medical history and symptoms. The doctor will use the data previously entered on the NO ENDO platform.
You will be offered a gynecological examination, including a vaginal examination to look for signs of deep endometriosis. If surgery is proposed, you will receive detailed information on the proposed technique, its rationale, expected results and possible complications. The doctor will use various aids (drawings, diagrams, slide shows, video sequences) to help you understand the particularities of the proposed surgical treatment. It is preferable that you come to the consultation accompanied by your spouse or a member of your family. Recordings of consultations are not generally accepted.
Teleconsultation
Teleconsultation, generally via Doctolib, may also be offered, depending on the framework defined by the CPAM. To benefit from a teleconsultation, you will need to confirm the appointment and provide a credit card imprint. It's important to note that during a teleconsultation, the doctor cannot examine you, so a conventional consultation is absolutely essential before any operation. Before the teleconsultation, you'll need to send us all your examinations, including MRI CDs, so that the doctor can consult them before the consultation.
If Medically Assisted Reproduction is proposed, the doctor will refer you either to the center closest to your home, or to another center that he or she considers more appropriate for your case.
Price of a
consultation
The cost of a consultation depends on its duration, as well as the expertise of the doctor you see. Extra fees for consultations vary from 100% to 200%, and may be covered in full or in part by your complementary health insurance.
Proposed surgery
If surgery is proposed, you will meet with an anesthetist at least 48 hours before surgery.
If the operation involves suturing the digestive tract, you will be able to meet with a digestive surgeon before the date of surgery. Likewise with the urological surgeon if your operation requires suturing of the ureter.
When scheduling your surgery, our secretaries will explain the preparation, probable duration and course of your hospital stay. They will suggest additional appointments with other specialists, and present you with the surgical estimate and the reasons for any extra charges (except for patients with special insurance coverage). They will then be available to answer any questions you may have prior to your hospitalization.
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