Topic: Endometriosis & COVID-19
Dr. Tamer Seckin, Co-founder of the Endometriosis Foundation of America (EndoFound), speaks with journalist Sabrina Korber on COVID-19 and endometriosis. This webinar includes recommendations for coping with pain and managing endo symptoms while waiting for elective surgery to be rescheduled. Questions that will be addressed include: Is endometriosis considered an underlying condition? Should I avoid the emergency room? I was scheduled for surgery, how do I manage my symptoms while I wait? When, if at all, should I go to the emergency room? Who should I call to speak about the anxiety and stress I’m feeling?
Join us on Zoom by registering below. While you can ask questions during the webinar's Q&A session via Zoom, we advise emailing webinar@endofound.org with your question beforehand.
Time: Sunday, Apr 5, 2020 02:00 PM (EDT)
Duration: 45 minutes
Moderator: Sabrina Korber
As a former journalist, Sabrina coordinated CNBC’s economics coverage during the financial crisis of 2008 & 2009, produced award-winning investigative documentaries and news reports on business topics such as health care fraud, cyber-espionage and the digital currency Bitcoin. She holds a Bachelor's degree from New York University and an MBA from Fordham University. Sabrina now works as a creative and strategic communications leader and volunteers for two non-profit organizations she is most passionate about -- The Endometriosis Foundation of America and NYPACE.
Speaker: Tamer Seckin, MD
Tamer Seckin, MD, is an endometriosis specialist and surgeon in private practice in New York at Lenox Hill Hospital. He specializes in advanced laparoscopic surgery for the treatment of endometriosis and associated pelvic pain pathologies. He has pioneered several surgical techniques including the deep excision of endometriosis, bloodless myomectomy for the treatment of fibroids, and advances in the visualization of endometriosis during surgery.
Thank you to everyone who attended EndoFound's first webinar, Endometriosis & COVID-19. EndoFound Cofounder Dr. Tamer Seckin and journalist Sabrina Korber covered a wide variety of topics in a short time this past Sunday, including whether endo patients are immunocompromised and how to manage pain and anxiety while social distancing. Be sure to watch the recording above to hear the full conversation.
Thank you to the many participants who sent in thoughtful and intelligent questions for the Q&A. EndoFound is continuing to work to get you the answers to those questions not covered during the webinar and is developing a separate resource page with answers.
The most frequently asked questions were as follows:
Q1: Is endometriosis considered an autoimmune disease? If so, do endo patients need to take extra precautions against COVID-19?
Q2: Are patients that have been diagnosed with thoracic endometriosis at a higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19?
A1: While inflammation caused by endometriosis can diminish the body’s ability to fight illness, Dr. Seckin assured patients that they are not necessarily more prone to contracting the COVID-19 virus. He advised sanitizing and practicing social distancing to protect oneself and stop the spread of the virus.
A2: Patients who have undergone a lung resection or diaphragm repair for thoracic endometriosis are theoretically more susceptible to any infection and thus should take additional precautions to minimize their risk of exposure to COVID-19.
During this uncertain and difficult time, Dr. Seckin and Sabrina encouraged patients to establish and reach out to their support network of loved ones, friends, and fellow patients. Dr. Seckin also recommended the following resources: the CDC’s website on COVID-19, MyEndometriosisTeam, an online patient community forum, and the New York State hotline where you can reach a trained mental health professional anytime by calling 1-844-863-9314.
Additional questions may be sent to webinars@endofound.org. To be the first to receive details on future webinars, subscribe to EndoFound’s newsletter, The Blossom.
