Preoperative Planning: A Game Changer

Dr. Megan Wasson, chair of gynecology at Mayo Clinic in arizona and a minimally invasive gynecologic surgeon specializing in endometriosis, emphasized the critical role of improved preoperative planning in achieving better surgical outcomes. This collaborative approach allows surgeons to enter the operating room with a comprehensive understanding of the patient’s condition.

According to Dr.Wasson, the impact of multidisciplinary care is transformative. the ability to really know what you’re walking into in the operating room is really what sparked my interest in having that collaboration. she further explained the challenges faced before this integrated approach: Prior to the multidisciplinary care, it wasn’t uncommon that I would go into the operating room [and] find disease that I wasn’t expecting to be there, and then unfortunately, have to do another surgery for the patient.

The Power of Imaging: Seeing is Believing

The collaboration with radiology teams has significantly enhanced surgical accuracy. Dr. Wasson noted:

Now being able to work with the radiology team and really know exactly what I’m going to be walking into, be able to trust that what thay tell me is there, and if I can’t automatically see it, I have to go looking for it, has really elevated the care that I’m able to provide.
Dr. Megan Wasson, Mayo Clinic in Arizona

Advancements in Imaging Technologies

Dr. Ceylan Colak, a staff radiologist at Mayo Clinic Rochester and assistant professor specializing in abdominal, musculoskeletal, and emergency radiology, highlighted the continuous advancements in imaging technologies and the advancement of endometriosis-focused protocols.These improvements are leading to earlier and more accurate diagnoses.

Dr. Colak stated,It’s been advancing every single day,every single decade. We have [better] technology. We see better. That’s why it is indeed advancing in patient care. It is advancing in [the] diagnosis of that disease earlier than expected. She emphasized the radiologist’s role in providing a detailed surgical roadmap, stating, As a radiologist, I can say we are here to help, to give a great roadmap to our surgeons so that we can ultimately do better patient care.

Standardized Screening Protocols

The implementation of standardized screening protocols during routine pelvic ultrasounds is also contributing to earlier detection. Dr. Wasson explained:

Such as, if someone is having pelvic pain, and we’re getting a normal ultrasound to evaluate for pelvic pain and looking at the structure of the uterus [and] the ovaries, we also now do a slide sign on every single patient… to see how the rectum moves in relationship to the uterus. We’re screening these individuals, and that, in turn, is allowing us to find disease sooner, before symptoms become significant enough that they’re really impacting the quality of life.
Dr. Megan Wasson, Mayo Clinic in Arizona

The Importance of Interaction

Both Dr. Wasson and Dr. Colak emphasized the importance of structured interdisciplinary communication in optimizing patient care. While time constraints can be a challenge,prioritizing multidisciplinary meetings leads to significant improvements in efficiency and outcomes.

Dr. Wasson noted, Time is honestly always the challenge. But when you prioritize it and have these multidisciplinary meetings, the care that we provide to patients is elevated so exponentially that you end up saving so much time because you’re not having to do a lot of back and forth. Dr. Colak echoed this sentiment, stating, This is a challenging disease. What we see on the imaging can sometimes be different from what they see during the surgery. So we definitely need communication.

Radiologic Intervention: A New Frontier

Advancements in radiologic interventions are expanding the therapeutic options available to patients with endometriosis. these techniques offer less invasive alternatives for addressing the disease in areas that were previously difficult to treat surgically.

Dr.Wasson highlighted the impact of these new approaches: Endometriosis care has largely focused on medical management, surgical management, and now our radiology teams are doing intervention, which has really changed the game as well. Techniques such as cryotherapy and focused biopsies are proving particularly beneficial. it has really allowed us to attack the disease in areas where previously it was very risky to remove the disease surgically, and now we’re able to tackle it through radiologic intervention, which is really beneficial to patients, she said.

Disclosures

Dr.Wasson and Dr. Colak report no relevant disclosures.

Reference

wasson M, Colak C. Collaboration with Radiology to Enhance Detection and Treatment of Endometriosis. Presentation. Presented at: 2025 American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) Annual Clinical and Scientific Meeting. May 16-18, 2025. Minneapolis, Minnesota.