Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation measures after surgery, after endocrine therapies or in addition to medication are still prescribed and carried out far too rarely for endometriosis patients:
Special conditions apply for follow-up treatment (AHB):
- AHB takes place following inpatient treatment in an acute hospital
- it is normally organized by the social services of the acute hospital
- it must be started within 14 days of hospital treatment
- it is carried out in specially approved AHB clinics:
The following indications apply to the AHB “Gynecological diseases and condition after surgery”:
- Condition after extended vaginal or abdominal surgery
- in complicated cases (e.g. peritonitis, intra-abdominal infiltrates, abscesses and/or urinary incontinence)
For gynecological diseases, these are in:
Other possibilities that could make AHB necessary are, for example
- Multiple peritoneal seeding of endometriosis lesions
- pronounced adhesion site with extensive adhesiolysis
- Wound healing disorders
- Intestinal surgery
- Increased intraoperative blood loss
- Second operations due to postoperative complications)
Rehabilitation concept for endometriosis
The situation of endometriosis patients is characterized by medical, psychological and social problems, the dynamics of which are exacerbated by the fact that genital diseases are largely taboo in society and are therefore difficult to communicate. The result is a tendency towards social isolation combined with high and often unrealistic expectations of doctor-patient communication in gynecological consultations. The chronic, often unpredictable course of the disease leads to uncertainty and helplessness among doctors and patients.
Psycho-educational training units for endometriosis patients have been developed at the Burggraben clinics, which deal with anatomy, pathology, physiology, pain and therapy. There is also a unit for women with an unfulfilled desire to have children. The training courses take place twice a week in a group. The doctor and the psychotherapist see themselves as facilitators of the group process.
Each subject area is based on the experiences of the patients. With the help of consistent use of non-medical (lay) language and explanation patterns, profound knowledge about the interrelationships of the disease is created. In the therapeutic training sessions in particular, patients are given ample opportunity to share their experiences.
Naturopathic and so-called alternative therapy methods are discussed and included in the orientation framework.
This makes an important contribution to patient compliance and to stabilizing doctor-patient communication in endometriosis rehabilitation, and the resource-oriented approach also implements self-healing skills and counteracts chronification processes.