QC: Fertility Success with Adenomyosis: With Dr. Naomi Whittaker

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QC: Fertility Success with Adenomyosis: With Dr. Naomi Whittaker
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Dr. Naomi Whittaker explains the two types of adenomyosis and their differing impacts on fertility, revealing that the condition is often over-diagnosed on ultrasound. She emphasizes that surgeon selection is crucial for women with reproductive concerns, sharing concerning examples of unauthorized fallopian tube removals during surgeries.

• Diffuse adenomyosis is common in women who have had children and typically does not cause infertility
• Adenomyosis is often “over-called” on ultrasound as technology becomes more advanced
• Focal adenomyosis (adenomyomas) can cause infertility but are usually resectable with proper surgical techniques
• Choosing a fertility-friendly surgeon who respects reproductive goals is critical
• Proper surgical technique and tissue handling significantly impact fertility outcomes
• Patient autonomy and informed consent should always be respected during reproductive surgeries

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Quick Connect Introduction

Speaker 1
0:00

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I'm

your

host
,

alana
,

and

it's

time

to

connect
.

Meet Dr. Naomi Whitaker

Speaker 1
0:47

I'm

joined

at

the

table

today

by

Dr

Naomi

Whitaker
,

who

is

the

founder

of

RRM

Academy

and

is

an

OBGYN

fertility

surgeon

focused

on

women's

restorative

reproductive

medicine
,

compassionate

healthcare

and

education
.

Dr

Whitaker

is

a

board-certified

OBGYN
,

anda

fellowship-trained

surgeon

who

specializes

in

the

Creighton

Model

Fertility

Care

System

and

Napro

Technology
,

which

works

cooperatively

with

women's

body

to

treat

the

underlying

cause

of

gynecologic

issues

and

infertility
,

such

as

endometriosis

and

PCOS
.

Dr

Whitaker

helps

women

improve

their

gynecologic

health

and

avoid

or

achieve

pregnancy

in

accordance

with

their

natural

fertility
,

using

the

latest

research
,

medicine

and

surgery
.

Let's

get

Understanding Adenomyosis Types

Speaker 1
1:26

into

this
.

Are

you

able

to

speak

on

the

success

rate

for

those

patients

that

maybe

have

adenomyosis
,

because

this

is

a

big

one

for

us

in

the

endometriosis

community
,

as

far

as

a

lot

of

us

that

are

struggling

with

fertility

not

only

have

endometriosis

but

have

adenomyosis

as

well
.

Is

that

something

that

you

kind

of

deal

with

on

a

daily

basis

as

part

of

helping

those

achieve

success

in

fertility
?

Speaker 2
1:55

Absolutely

so

I

had

to

really

do

my

own

research

on

adenomyosis

because

there's

really

not

good

information

out

there
.

So

there's

technically

two

different

types

of

adenomyosis

there's

diffuse

and

there's

focal
.

So

diffuse

is

more

common

in

women

who

have

had

children

and

does

not

cause

infertility

but

can

cause

the

symptoms

like

fullness
,

heavy

bleeding
.

But

the

good

thing

is

that

shouldn't

really

affect

fertility
.

It's

very

often

visualized

on

ultrasound
.

In

an

article

that

I

read

analyzing

many
,

many

studies

and

summarizing

the

findings
,

it

compared

it

to

the

boy

who

cried

wolf
.

So

adenomyosis

is

over-called

on

ultrasound

because

obviously

we

know

endometriosis

is

missed

more

often

than

not

by

ultrasound

and

MRI
.

But

they

might

see

some

junctional

changes

or

whatever
.

The

ultrasound

findings

are

an

enlarged

uterus
.

So

oh
,

it

must

be

that

right
.

Just

because

you

find

it

doesn't

mean

it's

clinically

significant
.

And

now

that

our

ultrasound

technologies

is

more

clear

than

it

used

to

be
,

we're

finding

it

more
.

And

now

we're

over

calling

it

based

on

what

I've

been

able

to

find

and

what

I

see

clinically
.

Speaker 2
3:06

I

see

it

frequently

and

I

don't

see

other

signs

of

issues
.

If

it's

just

that
,

for

example
,

right

and

I

don't
,

I

don't

consider

that

in

my

other

than

management

of

symptoms
.

I

don't

consider

that

as

a

barrier

to

conceiving
.

Now

it's

very

different

Why Surgeon Choice Matters

Speaker 2
3:22

.

Someone

messaged

me

today

they

have

a

seven

centimeter

adenomyoma
.

Now

that's

very

different
.

Someone

messaged

me

today

they

have

a

seven

centimeter

adenomyoma
.

Now

that's

very

different
.

That's

evidence

of

focal

adenomyosis
,

so

a

big

nodule

or

area

of

endometriosis

growing

into

the

muscle

of

the

uterus
,

and

so

those

do

cause

infertility
.

But

the

good

thing

is

those

are

resectable
.

You

just

treat

it

very

similarly

to

endometriosis
.

Speaker 1
3:46

Now

it's

definitely

trickier

surgically

but

and

from

my

understanding
,

and

maybe

I'm

wrong

on

this

but

doing

those

does

increase

risk
,

sometimes

with

fertility
,

depending

on

who

you

see
.

Like

you

wouldn't

want

to

see

just

anyone

to

see

to

do

this
,

no

matter

what

Period
.

Speaker 2
4:02

If

you

are

interested

in

fertility

and

I

think

that's

something

I

really

want

to

bring

out

today

into

light

is

that

who

your

surgeon

is

matters

more

than

anything
.

Right
,

Because

not

only

finding

it

all
,

but

tissue

handling

being

very

delicate

with

tissue

I

see

people

on

social

media

even

just

grabbing

the

fallopian

tubes
.

You

don't

want

to

do

that

with

these

very

strong

instruments
.

Obviously

you

don't

want

to

take

out

fallopian

tubes
.

You

don't

want

to

do

that

with

these

very

strong

instruments
.

Obviously

you

don't

want

to

take

out

fallopian

tubes

without

patient

consent
,

which

obviously

happens

a

lot
.

I'm

sure

you've

gotten

those

messages
,

like

I

have
.

Speaker 2
4:33

I

went

under

anesthesia
.

I

woke

up

without

a

fallopian

tube
.

I've

seen

it

on

patients

who

go

to

surgeons
.

They

go

there

for

fertility
.

The

tube

is

taken

out

because

they

thought

it

was

endometriosis
.

Path

was

negative

for

endometriosis

on

the

tube
.

They

took

out

the

whole

tube
.

So

surgeon

choice

matter
.

There's

someone

who's

fertility

friendly
,

who

really

respects

that
,

and

so

it's
.

There's

a

lot

to

it
.

We

could

definitely

go

into

it

more
.

That's

touching

the

surface

of

it
,

but

number

one

respecting

autonomy
.

Respecting

that
.

You

know

I

have

patients

all

the

time
.

Speaker 2
5:04

Are

you

going

to

take

out

my

tube
?

Are

you

going

to

take

out

my

ovary
?

I

mean
,

you

know

and

I

explain

how

often

I

do

that
,

which

is

almost

never
,

unless

I

think

it

looks

like

there's

a

cancer

I

pretty

much

try

to

save

every

fallopian

tube

or

ovary
.

After

you

know
,

informed

discussion

with

a

patient
,

of

course
,

yeah
,

I'm

sure

there

are

exceptions

in

women

who

aren't

trying

to
.

I'm

talking

about

trying

to

conceive

population
.

Episode Wrap-up

Speaker 1
5:25

Yeah
,

that's

a

wrap

for

this

Quick

Connect
.

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