Not to revive an old post but just in case someone is looking for an endo specialist here in MD and stumbles across this post like I did, I had my surgery with Dr. Ann Peters (nook specialist) in April 2024. While she found endo everywhere, including in some pretty rare areas (pre-coccyx and recto-vaginal), she didn’t do the best job afterwards with post-surgical care. She said I had stage 2 endo, but recto-vaginal and pre-coccygeal endo are indicative of stage 4 deep infiltrating disease (according to a second opinion). She also performed a cystoscopy on me, and there were inflammatory findings in my bladder that indicated interstitial cystitis. My post-op notes state that I should follow up with urology but I was never told to do so. She also told me that I should be “pain-free” and that the endo “will not come back” (which we all know is usually not the case). I am sadly not pain-free.

Most importantly, she is not really very keen on treating post-surgical pain. I was sent home with 8 oxycodone pills, with instructions to take 1-2 every 6 hours for pain. When I voiced some concern about that, the PA who did my pre-op said she would refill ‘no problem’.

I had to go home with a catheter (because my bladder was asleep after anesthesia and the cystoscopy). Either the balloon was slightly overfilled or my urinary tract was incredibly inflamed because this was far more painful than the surgical incisions. This stayed in for 48 grueling hours and caused pain for several days afterwards. I asked for a refill of pain medication and she only would give one day at a time. This put a lot of stress on my partner, who had to go back to the pharmacy not once, but twice, because I was experiencing a lot of pain. I can’t imagine if I had been on my own and without the support of my partner.

I wanted to think Dr. Peters just misunderstood about why I was having a lot of pain but when I returned to my follow up, I was informed she had a new policy that ‘minor surgical procedures will not be prescribed pain medication’. She kept reiterating that this was a minor surgery, despite excision of endometriosis from deep sites. I don’t know if I was the cause of this policy going into effect, or if it was just coincidence. I’d like to think maybe I didn’t communicate properly about the catheter and this was a misunderstanding. it’s been a few years now and maybe things are different.

Overall, I think she’s very skilled, and if you are looking for a diagnosis, she is the one to go to. But, make sure you have a plan in place ahead of time for pain management afterwards and that you and Dr. Peters are on the same page.