Dienogest as an option for endometriosis pain

Dienogest as an option for endometriosis pain

For treatment of endometriosis-related pain, what about the drug dienogest and the cyclic oral contraceptive Qlaira, which contains dienogest?

Chow Kah Kiong, MBBS
Singapore

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Norethindrone’s conversion to ethinyl estradiol

Dr. Barbieri’s editorial on the medical treatment of endometriosis is excellent! Does norethindrone acetate metabolize to ethinyl estradiol in a higher percentage when the dose is higher, or is it still 1%? We were taught that at doses of greater than 15 mg daily, norethindrone can contribute significant amounts of estrogen.

Lauren Barnes, MD
Albuquerque, New Mexico

Endometriosis is a surgical, not a medical, disease

I read with some dismay Dr. Barbieri’s editorial on medical treatment of endometriosis. As a long-time disciple of the eminent Dr. David Redwine, I have dedicated my practice focus over the past 28 years to minimally invasive curative solutions to many gynecologic problems. The data on the histology, qualitative hormonal differences, and inconsistent and poor long-term response of endometriosis to traditional hormonal suppressive therapies falls strongly in favor of complete and thorough laparoscopic excision—not “biopsy”—as the only truly curative treatment, certainly not medical therapy. Endometriosis is a surgical disease. The experience of the dedicated few in our field who have taken the time and effort to become experts in excision (not ablation) of endometriosis bears this out.

The tragedy is that the only Current Procedural Terminology code that is usable for reimbursement is 58662. Sadly, this code was assigned a resource-based relative value scale “value” many years ago, when the operation consisted of putting a scope in the abdomen and taking a sampling biopsy (which took all of 10 minutes). Of course, we know that a prolonged, delicate procedure requiring retroperitoneal dissection, ureterolysis, excision of deeply infiltrating rectovaginal septum endometriosis, and discoid or segmental bowel resection requires the kind of surgical expertise developed only by those who put in the time and effort to get good at this type of surgery. The majority of ObGyns who have a full obstetric practice and low surgical volumes simply are not going to struggle in the operating room over the many cases that it takes to become good, and safe, at this procedure only to receive an insulting reimbursement.

It is emblematic of this travesty that many of the best minimally invasive surgery practitioners do not accept insurance or other thirdparty payment such as Medicaid as they would otherwise not cover their overhead.

Putting premenopausal women into a severely hypoestrogenic state with medication is cruel and, even worse, does not cure the disease.

Balanced information on surgical management should have been presented in the article. And physicians who are not capable of proper laparoscopic excision should refer the patient.

Hugo Ribot, MD
Cartersville, Georgia

Continue to: Dr. Barbieri responds