Gruppo Italo-Belga for severe endometriosis – advanced surgery

A group dedicated to severe endometriosis and advanced endoscopic surgery

The Italo-Belgian group is an international group with main activity in Rome . This group originated from collaboration in research and in training of endoscopic surgery between the universities of Oxford, UK , the KULeuven, Leuven( Belgium) and the Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore di Roma,( Italy), from live surgery all over the world and from fellows trained in Leuven

The Gruppo Italo-Belga has as mission the promotion of advanced endoscopic surgery Especially for the surgery of deep endometriosis, one of the most demanding surgical interventions, Prof Koninckx is a pioneer with more than 2000 interventions (1550 in Leuven, 350 in Oxford, and 150 in Rome)

We want to deliver controllable quality through complete videoregistration of all interventions and by giving a copy to the patient.

Private : Villa del Rosario

Public and private
Nuova Villa Claudia

Surgery for patients from outside Italy

Convention with River Chateau i
n the front of the hopital

In order to evitate too much travel the medical history and the necessary exams are discussed by email. This often permits to see the patient with the required exams shortly before the planned intervention which is then confirmed.
This way the patient can be admitted the day before surgery Villa del Rosario in Rome. Generally it is preferable to fly in one day earlier in order to have time to take care of any missing details before surgery. The hospital stay can vary beween 1 and 7 days (if desired, part of it can be in River Chateau in the front – where we also can visit daily). A recovery of a week is often recommended before flying back home.
We can take care of travel, transport in Rome, and accommodation before and after surgery, including an eventual recovery in a nice place together with the accompanying person.

The pelvic surgeon and advanced surgery in gynaecology

Dopo il ‘Distinguished surgeon award 2004 Philadelphia’
D. Martin, A. Ussia A, P. Koninckx, G. Janik, C. Koh.

The pelvic surgeon is a new concept in gynaecology and has been proposed as a new ‘subspecialty’. The relative small group of gynaecologists performing advanced laparoscopic surgery, have realised that the ‘old’ concept of subspecialities is no longer useful in laparoscopic gynaecology. Indeed we have to realise that there is a lot of rather simple or basic gynaecologic surgery whereas the really advanced surgery remains relatively rare. Moreover the learning curve of endoscopic surgery does not fit with the actual subspecialties in gynaecology while the amount of ‘advanced surgery’ is insufficient in each subspecialty.

This concept obviously is not welcomed by the traditional subspecialties who defend their positions. Who looses in this is the patient.

that endoscopic surgery is more difficult than thougth years ago is obvious : just look around and zsee how many hysterectomies are still performed by laparotomy.

The major problem occuss in reproductive medecine with a lot of minor surgery and limited advanced surgery. As a consequence the advanced surgery is often not done or not done adequately and the patient who does not become pregnatn spontaneously gets IVF. The obvious thing, referral to an advanced endoscopic surgeon is not done since the patient is kept within the subspecialty.

Also in oncology, the volume of advanced surgeyr is insufficient. Instead of referring patients alternatives are implemented, as robotic surgery, without any evidence of superiority, byut much more expensive for society.

Deep endometriosis surgery probably is technically the most demanding surgery. So it is not surprising that especially the deep endometriosis surgeons are proposing ‘advanced pelvic surgery’ as a subspecialty, while being opposed by the large group of non- advanced surgeons.

Recognising ‘pelvic surgery’ as a subspecialty is the best way to increase overall quality of advanced pelvic surgery surgery for the patient. This concept unfortunately is opposed strongly by oncology and by reproductive medecine for ‘political’ reasons’ ie in order to to maintain the actual subspecialties.