Centre for Endometriosis and Minimally Invasive Gynaecology (CEMIG)
The Lister Hospital , Chelsea Bridge Road , London , SW1W 8RH
Centre of Excellence for the Treatment of Endometriosis
The Centre for Endometriosis and Minimally Invasive Gynaecology (CEMIG) at The Lister Hospital brings together leading experts in the diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis, all under one roof.
Led by renowned gynaecologist Mr Shaheen Khazali, our world-class consultants offer patients personally tailored care plans to address even the most challenging symptoms.
CEMIG is a BSGE accredited Endometriosis Centre which promotes the benefits of minimal access surgery for their patients.
Why choose our centre?
For women living with endometriosis, getting access to the right healthcare at the right time is critical, yet its complexity makes it harder to diagnose and treat and requires highly specialist care. Our transformative approach offers new hope for those living with the condition, within a warm, welcoming space.
See inside the hospital and see the team come together and plan a procedure for a patient who has travelled from Singapore to benefit from the leading women’s health services at The Lister Hospital in Chelsea.
What are the symptoms of endometriosis?
Endometriosis is a painful disorder that occurs when tissue similar to the lining of a woman’s uterus grows in other areas.
It can cause severe pain, with symptoms that include:
- Painful periods
- Painful bowel movements
- Pain during or after intercourse
- Fatigue
- Bloating
- Fertility issues and other complications
Mr Khazali answers some frequently asked questions on endometriosis
How is endometriosis diagnosed?
Our exceptional multidisciplinary team consists of consultant radiologists – all of whom have specialist expertise in endometriosis. This is essential, not only to diagnose the extent of the disease, but also to appropriately plan surgery if required.
A normal ultrasound or MRI does not rule out endometriosis and sometimes it is necessary to carry out a laparoscopy - a minimally-invasive procedure carried out under general anaesthetic that helps to definitively diagnose or rule out endometriosis.
Why does it take so long for endometriosis to be diagnosed in the UK?
It takes, on average, 7.5 years to reach a diagnosis of endometriosis in the UK.
Mr Shaheen Khazali, believes this delay is unacceptable and in this video he talks about diagnosing endometriosis sooner.
Meet our endometriosis consultants
At CEMIG our consultants work together in a multidisciplinary team to ensure each patient has access to the most suitable treatment for their endometriosis. CEMIG consultants include:
Mr Shaheen Khazali, Consultant Gynaecologist
Mr Michael Adamczyk, Consultant Gynaecologist
Mr Philip Bearn, Consultant General and Colorectal Surgeon
Mr Pasha Nisar, Consultant Colorectal and General Surgeon
Dr Ashish Shetty, Consultant in Pain Medicine
Mr Andrea Bille, Cardiothoracic Surgeon
Mr Ahmed Karim, General Surgeon
Mr Rajesh Nair, Consultant Urologist
Professor Rakesh Heer, Consultant Urologist
Highly specialised endometriosis treatment
Mr Khazali is recognised internationally for his advanced skills, innovative techniques, experience and knowledge in the excision of endometriosis. He provides the full range of treatment options to best manage your endometriosis symptoms, and our expert team are here to tailor a treatment plan specific to your needs.
Dependent on the severity of your endometriosis, we can provide different medications to ease the pain. Should you require surgery to remove the growth, our leading specialists can carry out advanced excision surgery by laparoscopy. The latest technology such as the da Vinci robot system available at The Lister Hospital ensures the CEMIG team can perform minimally invasive surgery at a consistently high level.
What is thoracic endometriosis?
Symptoms of thoracic endometriosis include the common symptoms of pelvic endometriosis, plus others that occur at the same time as your period. These can include chest pain, shortness of breath, coughing up blood or recurrent collapsed lung.
You may be given a CT scan or an MRI scan to check for signs of thoracic endometriosis. Video-assisted laparoscopy (VL) and video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS), where a surgeon inserts a camera through small incisions, are usually used to view the suspected endometriosis tissue. Your surgeon may take samples of the tissue and send them to a pathology lab to confirm the diagnosis.
Endometriosis tissue in the thoracic cavity can be removed using minimally-invasive video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) or robotically in selected cases. Endometriosis can also involve the diaphragm which may need to be repaired minimally invasively. At the Centre for Endometriosis, VATS for thoracic endometriosis is performed by Mr Andrea Bille, Consultant Thoracic Surgeon.
If you require treatment for both pelvic and thoracic endometriosis, our surgeons can provide a multidisciplinary surgical approach to treat both areas in a single procedure or in staged procedures. Video-assisted laparoscopy (VL) to treat pelvic endometriosis is performed by Mr Shaheen Khazali, Consultant Gynaecologist and Endometriosis Surgeon, and VATS to treat thoracic endometriosis is performed by Mr Andrea Bille, Consultant Thoracic Surgeon.
Does a hysterectomy cure endometriosis?
The growth of endometrial tissue outside the uterus means a laparoscopy is not always the only procedure offered for endometriosis, sometimes a hysterectomy is undertaken as well, particularly for those patients who are also diagnosed with adenomyosis.
Mr Shaheen Khazali talks about adenomyosis, what the condition is and why a hysterectomy might be a treatment option for some people.
What are the advantages of centralised care for severe endometriosis?
For many years the British Society of Gynaecology Endoscopy have championed the treatment for people, with severe complex endometriosis, to be performed in a centre where a large volume of similar cases are seen, and a multidisciplinary team of specialists are accessible to the patient.
CEMIG ensures your diagnosis and treatment is managed by a multidisciplinary team and your care is managed centrally, this means faster and more accurate diagnosis. In this video Mr Khazali talks about the CEMIG at The Lister Hospital and the advantages this type of journey has for a patient.
Contact The Centre for Endometriosis
If you would like more information about The Centre for Endometriosis or to book an appointment at the centre please don't hesitate to contact us.