Bristol endometriosis sufferers offered robotic surgery

Antonia Boyton, 54, spent most of her life plagued with extreme pain from the condition before undergoing surgery.

Available at Southmead Hospital in Bristol, the robot element allows surgeons to penetrate inaccessible areas, like the pelvis, more precisely.

Since the robotic surgery started 14 months ago, almost 200 women have been treated using the method.

The procedure is carried out at a specialist centre at Southmead Hospital and allows surgeons operating the robot to remove endometrial tissue, which can cause severe pain and long-term health problems.

Some consultants who have spoken to the BBC said getting surgical relief can be a postcode lottery but the situation is improving and more people are being referred to the right teams.

"There's a lot of publicity out there now about raising awareness for endometriosis," said one consultant.

Almost 200 women have been treated robotically over the past 14 months

Ms Boyton, from Wells, was diagnosed with endometriosis 30 years ago.

She underwent numerous operations to remove endometrial tissue and was prescribed morphine and anti-depressants to cope, which often left her bed-bound.

"My life was miserable," she said.

But in 2016, Ms Boyton paid for private treatment in London, where her endometrial tissue was surgically removed using a robot.

"I came off the [medication] and I got my life back," she said.

Ms Boyton recalled being dismissed by a medical professional when she was 19 and her previous experiences caused her to suffer panic attacks on the gynaecology ward.