A young Irish woman from Limerick will travel to Greece in the coming days to undergo specialist surgery for endometriosis.

As reported in the Irish Times, Lisa Walsh’s disease has now “hit” her heart and diaphragm, dramatically reducing her quality of life.

The 29-year-old was diagnosed with stage four endometriosis in 2023, after nearly ten years of constant visits to doctors and searching for the cause of the pains that plagued her.

Walsh has already undergone two surgeries, but the latest medical tests showed that the disease has affected other parts of her body, necessitating the new, specialized surgery to be performed in Greece.

“We took X-rays in February and found out it had reached my heart. It was, of course, another shock, another obstacle,” the young Irishwoman said.

Her surgery is scheduled for November 4, as she explains, “I don’t like the idea of [the disease] staying inside me.”

“The surgeon will remove part of the heart, remove the right side of the septu,m and place a mesh to reconstruct it. He will also look at the pelvic area and proceed with surgery on the left side as well,” he said.

The recovery will be difficult, she noted, as it is a difficult and demanding surgery. But it is something she has to do, as her quality of life in recent months has “completely collapsed” due to the symptoms.

“I was fine until July this year, however, after that I went downhill. I feel a weight on my chest. I can breathe, but it’s like my body can’t ‘fill’ with the air it needs. It’s kind of like a little panic attack,” she adds. “I’ve noticed a worsening. The pain is more intense and persistent. It used to be like a knot of tight muscles, but now it feels like a burn that goes all the way up to the arm. Once I went to the emergency room because the chest pain was so intense that I thought I had a pneumothorax.”

As the Irish Times explains, the operation is expected to have long-term consequences, including increased shortness of breath, which is why Lisa Walsh has already purchased a wheelchair for days when she finds it particularly difficult to move.

The total cost of the surgery in Greece, including travel costs, is estimated to be between 25,000 and 28,000 euros.

The 29-year-old’s insurance company has assured that it will cover the cost of the surgery, while citizens have contributed financially through the GoFundMe platform to help her with the remaining costs.

What is endometriosis

According to the World Health Organization, endometriosis is a chronic condition that causes severe pain during menstruation, sexual intercourse, defecation, or urination, and is often accompanied by chronic pelvic pain, bloating, nausea, fatigue, and psychological symptoms such as depression, anxiety, and, in some cases, infertility.