Endometriosis is a debilitating condition that affects roughly 5-10% of the population. It can cause chronic pain or fertility problems or both. Of women with endometriosis, 30-50% are estimated to have infertility, and among women with infertility, 25-50% are believed to have endometriosis. How and why endometriosis affects fertility has largely remained a mystery to researchers, but some evidence suggests that it may be linked to the immune system.

In this episode, J. Ricardo Loret de Mola, MD, FACOG, FACS, Professor and Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine (SIU), joins host Mark P. Trolice, M.D., to share his insights on the latest endometriosis, how the disease impacts fertility, and the most effective treatment options for women.

Tune in to discover:

  • What endometriosis is and who may be at risk of developing it
  • How endometriosis reduces fertility
  • Treatment options for endometriosis
  • How a woman’s age factors into treatment considerations
  • How to manage endometriosis prior to IVF treatment

About J. Ricardo Loret de Mola, MD, FACOG, FACS

Dr. J. Ricardo Loret de Mola serves as Professor and Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine (SIU), and Medical Director of St. John’s Hospital Women’s Health Programs in Springfield, IL. He founded the SIU Fertility and IVF Center, where he serves as its medical director, and established a highly successful fertility program with outstanding pregnancy rates. Dr. Loret de Mola’s clinical and research interests are in the care of couples with infertility, and women with endometriosis.

Dr. Loret de Mola earned his medical degree at the Monterrey Institute of Technology and completed his residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU). He completed a two-year fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the University of Pennsylvania and also completed a two-year fellowship at the Association of American Medical College’s Agency for Health Care Research and Quality. Dr. Loret de Mola also conducted a two-year research fellowship in pharmacology at CWRU as a scholar of the American Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Foundation.

Dr. Loret de Mola is board certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. He has served several leadership roles in national and international organizations such as ACOG, as Junior Fellow Treasurer, Vice-Chair and Chair for District V, and as a Fellow as Treasurer and Vice-Chair for the Illinois Section, and currently serves as Chair of the ACOG, Illinois Section. Dr. Loret de Mola is the author of more than 100 scientific publications, presentations at scientific meetings, and book chapters.

About Mark P. Trolice, M.D.

Mark P. Trolice, M.D., FACOG, FACS, FACE is Director of Fertility CARE: The IVF Center in Winter Park, Florida and Associate Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology (OB/GYN) at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine in Orlando responsible for the medical education of OB/GYN residents and medical students as well as Medical Endocrinology fellows. He is past President of the Florida Society of Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility (REI) and past Division Director of REI at Winnie Palmer Hospital, part of Orlando Health.

He is double Board-certified in REI and OB/GYN, maintains annual recertification, and has been awarded the American Medical Association’s “Physicians’ Recognition Award” annually. He holds the unique distinction of being a Fellow in all three American Colleges of OB/GYN, of Surgeons, and Endocrinology. His colleagues select him as Top Doctor in America® annually, one among the top 5% of doctors in the U.S. In 2018, he was awarded the “Social Responsibility Award” by the National Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Association. For ten years his foundation, Fertile Dreams, organized seminars to increase fertility awareness and granted national scholarships for those unable to afford in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment.

Dr. Trolice serves on committees for the American Society for Reproductive Medicine and the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology as well as the editorial advisory board of Ob.Gyn.News. He has conducted scientific studies with numerous resultant publications and been appointed a reviewer in many leading medical journals and textbooks. He has lectured at multiple physician and patient seminars around the country. In addition, he is interviewed regularly on TV news/talk shows, radio, podcasts, print/online magazines and newspapers on reproductive health topics. His current book is on the Infertility journey to be published by Harvard Common Press in mid-2019.