Endometriosis: Kerry woman fearing medical negligence 'ready to put in a formal complaint'
Emma Cotter: 'Endometriosis has robbed me of so many years of my life.'
A Kerry woman has said she is ready to file a complaint after being told a laparoscopy found she had “no endometriosis”, before being diagnosed with stage 3 of the condition two months later.
In 2023, Emma Cotter, aged 38, discovered she had adenomyosis after getting two MRIs and two ultrasounds in a private clinic, which found she had the condition, fused ovaries, ovarian cysts and lesions.
Later that year, she was eventually seen in a hospital gynaecology department, where she says she was “labelled as possibly depressed” and “offered more contraception”.
She was put into chemical menopause and in October 2024, was scheduled for a laparoscopy after a gynaecologist suspected she might also have endometriosis based on imaging and the debilitating symptoms she was experiencing.
“I went into surgery, which took 40 minutes, and was told after the surgery that I didn't have any endometriosis, and that everything was normal,” she recalls.
But Emma had a “gut feeling” she could not shake. After being told by her doctor “there was no more he could offer her”, she decided to seek a consultation in Romania. Two months later, she had an MRI at the Bucharest Endometriosis Centre.
That centre's founder, Dr Gabriel Mitroi, told her that "I did in fact have stage 3 endometriosis, which was all over my abdominal cavity, it was attached to my uterosacral ligaments. I had multiple fibroids on both of my ovaries. I had lesions on my ovaries.
“He said that I had diffuse adenomyosis, which required a hysterectomy. I also was diagnosed with pudendal neuralgia, which is compression of the pelvic nerve.”
Based on the extent of her adenomyosis and her endometriosis lesions which gravely affected her pelvis, the surgeon recommended a hysterectomy, an excision surgery, and pudendal nerve release.
"I went back home and I booked surgery for about six weeks later.”
In January, Emma travelled back to Romania where she underwent surgery for eight hours.
“It was so complex, the pudendal nerve was extremely compressed from pelvic congestion syndrome and endometriosis lesions. The muscles that were covered in lesions were compressing the nerves, so the nerve surgery was much more complex than anticipated.”
Now five weeks post-surgery, the mother of two is “ready to put in a formal complaint”, fearing medical negligence in the Irish hospital in which she underwent a laparoscopy.
For years, Emma had a history of infertility and miscarriages, and says her experience was “never looked at as a whole picture”.
After her surgery in Romania, she says she is healing well, but it did take a toll on her mental health.
"Like I said to my husband this week, endometriosis has robbed me of so many years of my life, from being pain free.
“I've been in pain every day for years, and I feel like even still after my surgery, because my surgery has been so complex, I still feel like I'm being robbed.”
“The nerve surgery is extremely slow and can take 12 plus months for recovery, so I'm still limping and I'm on tablets for the foreseeable future to help with the nerve pain.”
If she wishes one thing, it is for people to listen.
“What I'd advise people is just to listen, be there for them because this disease takes a huge mental toll on you.
“I think women are getting fed up and they're starting to speak out. I think people need to know that there's so many women living with a chronic illness and possibly getting no help, only for contraceptives.”
