The Endometriosis Podcast

In this special episode of The Endometriosis Podcast, Dr. Nicholas Fogelson travels to Kerugoya, Kenya, for the Healing Mama Africa Bootcamp and Conference, where surgeons, advocates, and educators from around the world come together to expand access to endometriosis care in Africa. Through a series of on-the-ground conversations, the episode explores what it means to deliver complex surgical care in a low-resource setting, why patient advocacy and education matter so deeply, and how collaboration across borders is helping change the future of endometriosis treatment. 
Highlights:
Dr. Joe Njagi shares the vision behind Healing Mama Africa and how one ambitious idea grew into a groundbreaking conference bringing expert training, complex surgery, and long-overdue care to patients across the continent.
Endometriosis advocate Arti Shah reflects on her decades-long journey with endometriosis in Kenya and explains why patient empowerment, better information, and tools like her educational game Endo Quest are essential for changing the landscape.
Dr. Myriam En Nosse discusses her highly specialized work in female genital mutilation reconstruction and brings a broader global women's health perspective to the conversation, centered on dignity, healing, and surgical restoration.
Dr. Ahmed Al Minawi brings a regional surgeon's perspective from Egypt, reflecting on healthcare in Egypt broadly, the unusually severe and fibrotic endometriosis cases seen at Healing Mama Africa, and the extraordinary dedication behind offering these surgeries free of charge.


For clinical consultations: contact Northwest Endometriosis and Pelvic Surgery in Portland, OR at (503) 715-1377 or email us at [email protected] 
Follow us on Instagram: @Nicholasfogelson and @drshantimohling
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In this sponsored episode of The Endometriosis Podcast, Dr. Nicholas Fogelson and Dr. Shanti Mohling are joined by Dr. Bruce Lessey—the researcher who identified BCL6 as a marker of endometrial inflammation—and Chris Jackson, CEO of Cicero Diagnostics, the company that brought his discovery to market as the ReceptivaDx test. Together, they explore how a gene first studied in lymphoma research became a tool for detecting progesterone resistance and inflammation linked to endometriosis. The conversation covers how the test works, who it's most useful for, how accurate it is, what its limitations are, and where non-invasive diagnostics for endometriosis may be heading next.
Highlights:
What BCL6 is and how it disrupts progesterone signaling and implantation
How Dr. Lessey's research became the ReceptivaDX clinical test
When this test is most helpful in infertility and recurrent pregnancy loss
What a positive result does—and doesn't—mean
Why earlier, less invasive diagnosis could change endometriosis care
For clinical consultations: contact Northwest Endometriosis and Pelvic Surgery in Portland, OR at (503) 715-1377 or email us at [email protected] 
Follow us on Instagram: @Nicholasfogelson and @drshantimohling
Download a transcript of this episode.

In this episode of The Endometriosis Podcast, Dr. Nicholas Fogelson and Dr. Shanti Mohling take on one of the most emotionally charged and misunderstood topics in pelvic pain care: hysterectomy. Drawing on decades of surgical experience, they unpack common myths, clarify confusing terminology, and explain when hysterectomy may—or may not—be an appropriate part of endometriosis treatment. This thoughtful, nuanced conversation emphasizes individualized care, informed consent, and the importance of excision surgery alongside any uterine decision 
Highlights:
Why hysterectomy does not cure endometriosis—and why it can still be helpful for some patients with pelvic pain
The difference between hysterectomy, ovary removal, and fallopian tube removal (and why the distinctions matter)
Adenomyosis, fibroids, and other uterine pain sources that can influence surgical decisions
Effects of hysterectomy on hormones, menopause timing, sexual function, and pelvic organ support
How surgical technique, experience, and thorough excision impact long-term outcomes and recurrence risk
For clinical consultations: contact Northwest Endometriosis and Pelvic Surgery in Portland, OR at (503) 715-1377 or email us at [email protected] 
Follow us on Instagram: @Nicholasfogelson and @drshantimohling
Download a transcript of this episode.

In this episode, Dr. Nick Fogelson and Dr. Shanti Mohling take on one of the most persistent gray zones in gynecology: how to safely use hormone replacement therapy in patients with current or past endometriosis. Moving beyond the simplistic "estrogen bad" narrative, they explore what the data actually show about recurrence, cancer risk, and quality of life. The discussion weaves clinical insight with case studies, examining how progesterone's protective role, surgical completeness, and individualized dosing all shape outcomes.
Highlights:
The lingering misconceptions from the Women's Health Initiative study and what modern research now shows about the safety of hormone replacement.
Why bioidentical progesterone should often accompany estrogen—even in hysterectomized patients with prior endometriosis.
Real-world case studies revealing how residual disease and incomplete excision affect postmenopausal pain and risk.
The broader benefits of HRT—stronger bones, cardiovascular protection, cognitive support—and how fear-based medicine often obscures them.
Updates from the surgical front: robotic excision of endometriosis in outpatient centers, plus a preview of the next episode on MyReceptiva's diagnostic test for endometriosis.


For clinical consultations: contact Northwest Endometriosis and Pelvic Surgery in Portland, OR at (503) 715-1377 or email us at [email protected] 
Follow us on Instagram: @Nicholasfogelson and @drshantimohling
 
Download a transcript of this episode.

In this thought-provoking episode, Dr. Nicholas Fogelson and Dr. Shanti Mohling delve into new research that challenges how we understand adenomyosis in relation to endometriosis. They break down the proposed subtypes of adenomyosis— from interna and externa to intramural and adenomyomas— and discuss how these patterns may arise from childbirth, uterine surgery, or molecular changes shared with endometriosis. Along the way, they revisit century-old theories, weigh the evidence for different pathways of disease development, and explore what this means for treatment decisions, fertility preservation, and patient pain.
Highlights:
Defining adenomyosis and how it differs from—and overlaps with—endometriosis
Subtypes of adenomyosis: interna, externa, intramural, and adenomyomas
Theories of origin: tissue injury and repair, retrograde menstruation, embryonic remnants, and genetic mutations
Why hysterectomy can sometimes relieve pain when conservative surgery cannot
Understanding why patients with minimal disease may have severe pain while others with advanced disease experience little or none
For clinical consultations: contact Northwest Endometriosis and Pelvic Surgery in Portland, OR at (503) 715-1377 or email us at [email protected] 
Follow us on Instagram: @Nicholasfogelson and @drshantimohling
Download a transcript of this episode.