why are canadians going to bucharest for endometriosis treatment?

despite how common it is, as well as the existence of specialized centres, many women with endometriosis still wait too long for a diagnosis.

by karen hawthorne

oct 12 2022

3 minute read

join the conversation

women are waiting too long for a diagnosis

bucharest endometriosis center in romania is a facility that received a lot of positive feedback in endometriosis patient groups on facebook. getty

when a british columbia woman was told that endometriosis — a painful condition where endometrial-like tissue grows outside the uterus — had left her with only “about three millimetres” of healthy colon tissue which needed to be removed, and that there was a risk her bowel could rupture potentially meaning life with a colostomy bag, she needed another option, according to global news ,

caught up in long wait times for care as well as facing challenges getting health-care providers to take her pain seriously, angela mock went searching outside the country for an alternative course of treatment. she found the bucharest endometriosis center in romania — a facility that received a lot of positive feedback in endometriosis patient groups on facebook.

in 2021, she had a six-hour operation that cost her $9,500 and $3,000 in flights, meals and accommodations. there were 30 different endometriosis masses removed throughout her bowel, kidneys, bladder, ovaries and rectal wall. “i know it sounds dramatic, but [the surgeon] literally saved my life,” she told global news, adding that over a year later she feels “like a new person.”

many canadian women make the trip to bucharest

about 100 canadian women make a similar decision every year, some even fundraising make the trip to the bucharest clinic possible. many say the excruciating pain, long wait-lists for treatment or having their symptoms dismissed by care providers drive them to seek help outside canada.

endometriosis is often left undiagnosed

endometriosis is a common condition that affects an estimated one in 10 women and girls of reproductive age — it’s often left undiagnosed or dismissed as problems during “that time of the month,” according to bc women’s hospital , which houses the bc women’s centre for pelvic pain and endometriosis , one of the few specialized care centres in the country to help patients learn about treatments and participate in studies and clinical trials.

still, despite the existence of some specialized centres, women continue to wait too long for a diagnosis. a 2020 cross-sectional survey of 30,000 women aged 18 to 49 in canada, published in the journal of obstetrics and gynaecology canada , revealed that seven per cent had the condition and 84.1 per cent experienced symptoms before diagnosis that was given three to five years after the onset.

denise campbell of toronto, told healthing.ca that she was 14 when her symptoms started and it wasn’t until she was 35 when shortness of breath and bleeding from her belly button led to an x-ray and the eventual diagnosis of endometriosis. there is no known cure.

what are the symptoms of endometriosis?

symptoms for this debilitating and chronic disease include severe pain during periods and possible bleeding from the endometrial-like tissue that forms in other parts of the body. there can be pain during sexual intercourse, bowel movements and urination, pelvic pain, abdominal bloating, nausea, fatigue, and sometimes infertility, depression and anxiety, according to the world health organization (who).

the signs of endometriosis can also mimic other disorders like pelvic inflammatory disease, ovarian cysts and irritable bowel syndrome (ibs) which causes bouts of diarrhea, abdominal cramping and constipation. treatments include anti-inflammatory and pain medications to keep patients comfortable and possibly surgery to remove endometriosis injuries and scar tissue.

endometriosis caught the eye of macron

if women are going abroad to get care for endometriosis, it’s not because of lack of advocacy and awareness-raising in canada, or even globally.

in january 2022, french president emmanuel macron made endometriosis a legally recognized chronic illness which increased services for millions of women. and this past january, endoact canada was launched to advocate for a canadian national action plan for endometriosis.

“there are a lot of people struggling,” philippa bridge-cook, a molecular biologist and chair of the endometriosis network canada ’s (enc) board of directors, told healthing. “they haven’t found the right doctor or their pain is still being dismissed by their doctor, they can’t access the treatment, or get a diagnosis, and even if they do get a diagnosis, they can’t get the treatment they need afterwards — either because they can’t afford it or it isn’t available.”

other endometriosis resources include the endometriosis network canada, the endometriosis clinic at mcmaster university, and the endometriosis foundation of canada.

don’t miss a thing: sign-up for healthing’s newsletter

thank you for your support. if you liked this story, please send it to a friend. every share counts.

karen hawthorne

karen hawthorne worked for six years as a digital editor for the national post, contributing articles on health, business, culture and travel for affiliated newspapers across canada. she now writes from her home office in toronto as a freelancer, and takes breaks to bounce with her son on the backyard trampoline and walk bingo, her bull terrier.

why are canadians going to bucharest for endometriosis treatment?

despite how common it is, as well as the existence of specialized centres, many women with endometriosis still wait too long for a diagnosis.