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Professional Insights

Mr. David Griffiths on The EndoSure Test

Mr Griffiths is a senior gynaecologist with more than 25 years of consultant experience and sees patients in Wiltshire, the surrounding areas and the South West. He also consults with international patients and those seeking a second opinion.

Mr Griffiths completed his formative training in the Midlands, winning many prizes and awards. His first fellowship was in infertility and IVF at St James’s University Hospital, Leeds. Following a competitive process, he was awarded a 12-month funded Fellowship to Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA, to undertake research on the pelvic floor and incontinence with the world’s first erect fast MRI scanner.

Before taking up his NHS Consultant post, he also worked at the Center for Endometriosis Care, Atlanta, Georgia, and various hospitals in New Zealand. His specialist interests are menstrual disorders, pelvic pain and endometriosis.

Mr. David Griffiths
“A new way to move the diagnostic journey forward.”

Why are you so excited about The EndoSure Test?

The EndoSure Test is a new non-invasive test for endometriosis. Before, we often had to rely on surgical investigations, which could take months to organise. Laparoscopy is performed under a general anaesthetic and requires a period of recovery. Sometimes, endometriosis is not recognised. Now, we have the EndoSure Test, which takes about 60 minutes, and results can be available quickly.

Why is this important?

Endometriosis is such a common condition, with around one in ten women affected, and it is well recognised that many women wait years for a diagnosis. The current UK average is 9 years and 4 months. Patients will likely have had numerous consultations and more tests during those years. Many attend casualty with flares of pain and are investigated with scans. I saw a young lady the other day who had seen many doctors and had numerous trips to casualty with pelvic pain. She had seen a bowel doctor in the past and was treated for IBS. Her test was strongly positive for endometriosis, and she was so overwhelmed that she finally felt she had an answer. We were then able to put her on a pathway to addressing her symptoms.

What Does the Test Involve?

It is a very simple and straightforward test. We ask that the patient avoid eating for 8 hours beforehand. On the morning of the test, we place electrode pads on the lower abdomen and take an electrical reading of the bowel, which is very similar to a heart reading. We give the patient some water to drink to stimulate the bowel and then record for 30 minutes while the patient lies still.

What Do the Results Show?

The electrical readings are interpreted to help assess the likelihood of endometriosis and provide additional information to support clinical decision-making.

A Patient Story: The EndoSure Test

These Are the Words of the Patient’s Mother

My daughter started her periods at age 11 and progressively over the years her menstrual pain has been getting worse and worse, like she is confined to her bed for at least a couple of days.

We had repeatedly been to the GP about this, but you always get dismissed and put on pills. They did send her for an ultrasound scan, but that came back negative, but my daughter was still suffering so Mum had to do some Dr Googling and research and that’s how I came across EndoSure.

When I contacted them through the site they were very quick with their response and told me that there was a trial happening but when we saw the GP about trying to get on the trial we got shot down and told there is no need to find out till my daughter wants to have children but you want to know what is causing this pain etc.

When I told EndoSure this they went above and beyond and let us have the test anyway. Beth was lovely and very professional, and the test only took around half an hour in total silence so it could read her body (which totally killed her, no phone for 30 mins).

As soon as we got the results, which was a couple of days later, we booked a GP appointment and the GP did her research on EndoSure and said that the private sector is all over this and she was very thorough and explained everything, and all of the options and we have been put on the waiting list for gynaecology.

So now it’s a waiting game but without EndoSure I am sure we would still be banging our heads up against a wall with the GPs.