Treatment at the CEC  |  Meet the CEC Team  |  Ask the CEC

ABOUT OUR TEAM

The Center for Endometriosis Care (CEC) is a specialty practice founded more than two decades ago by Robert B. Albee, Jr., MD, with the specific purpose and focus to provide dedicated, expert care and treatment for all forms of endometriosis, ranging from complex to superficial. Our adherence to "modern concepts" has shaped our practice for more than a decade and a half. The CEC was formed around our four core principles:

Recognizing subtle disease in all its manifestations.

Removing all Endometriosis, while preserving a woman or girl's organs where and whenever possible.

Performing pathological examination on all excised tissue.

Above all else, treating women and girls - and their loved ones - with respect and compassion as partners in their healthcare and truly listening to our patients. 

OUR APPROACH

Historically, medical textbooks teach that endometriosis looks like black powder burns. However, this is an outdated myth which continues to contribute to the lack of accurate education regarding the disease.  Many studies have shown that black implants are not even the most common. Clear, white, red, yellow, blue and gray implants can also occur. A surgeon who looks only for black, "gunpowder" spots can miss significant disease. The CEC medical staff has many years and thousands of cases of experience in disease recognition. At the Center for Endometriosis Care, we consider any abnormal area of the peritoneum to be endometriosis until proven otherwise by pathology.

Once endometriosis is recognized, it is removed via pioneering treatment called laparoscopic excision (LAPEX). Although this is a meticulous, highly detailed operation, most women are treated on an out-patient basis. Dr. Albee  and Dr. Sinervo use the CO2 (ultrapulse) laser to dissect the disease. Endometriosis of the bowel, bladder and beyond can also be safely and completely removed with the laser. A general surgeon is available for full bowel resections, if needed, and we utilize the assistance of a full complement of colleagues - all experts in their field - where necessary i.e. in cases of thoracic or other extrapelvic locations.

All excised tissue is sent to the Pathology lab for examination. You have the security of knowing exactly what was found. Surgical techniques such as electrocautery and laser vaporization (also called fulguration and ablation) destroy the tissue, making microscopic evaluation impossible. That's why we don't use them. CEC surgeons use the laser as a cutting tool, and not as a means of tissue destruction as the laser commonly is used in general obgyn surgery.  Simply removing the "tip of the iceberg" will not treat this disease, as it needs to be removed from the root for maximum outcome.

Excision is the gold standard of surgical treatment for this disease, but is only practiced by a small number of global surgeons who have dedicated their life's work to successful and advanced treatment of endometriosis. The CEC is a leader in the field and has blazed a trail towards "best practice".

Too often, women with endometriosis have been dismissed as neurotic whiners. Their questions were ignored and their challenges unanswered. Many have been told there is no hope, the pain is in their head, or they are beyond treatment.  Here at the Center for Endometriosis Care, this is not the case.  Our goal is to treat you with respect, validation and compassion. We ask that you become partners with us in health care.

We welcome your requests for free materials, questions and comments on every aspect of our program. By letting us know what's working well and what needs improvement, you can contribute to the quality of the Center for Endometriosis Care for the women who come after you.