Doctor calls for better endometriosis care after surgery abroad
After more than a decade of symptoms, Dr Rachel O'Connor says she was told her endometriosis was "too severe" to treat in Ireland
Dr Rachel O' Connor, an Irish doctor in her 30s from County Roscommon, has spoken out about the inadequate care for endometriosis patients in Ireland. In March 2025, she had over ten hours of specialist surgery in Warsaw to treat her severe condition. Endometriosis is a chronic condition where tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside the uterus, causing inflammation, scarring, and fertility issues.
The HSE estimates that up to one in seven women in Ireland suffer from this disease. Despite being a doctor herself, Rachel faced years of misdiagnosis and inadequate treatment in Ireland, seeking help from various medical professionals including urologists, gynaecologists, and general practitioners, only to be misdiagnosed with infections or given antibiotics.
She finally received a stage four diagnosis of endometriosis in 2023, after travelling to Warsaw for treatment. However, the Irish healthcare system suggested she seek urgent care abroad due to the severity of her condition. Unfortunately, even after receiving treatment, she was unable to preserve her fertility due to the lack of publicly funded egg preservation for endometriosis sufferers. This forced her to undergo multiple rounds of IVF in Warsaw, resulting in poor outcomes.
Written by urgent.news from RTE News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
