As we have progressed in our careers, Elise trained as a pelvic reconstructive surgeon, and Ted trained as a psychiatrist, we realized how vital a role pain - and understanding one's own diagnosis - can have in quality of life.
Pelvic pain can be caused by hundreds of different pathologies - often with more than one organ system contributing. People may see a urologist when they need a neurosurgeon, or a doctor who decides the pain is not real because a cause is not found.
In our care of our patients, we have created alliances with colleagues across all the specialties and helped those with even the most complex diagnoses. Sometimes the answer is simple, for example, pelvic floor muscle tightness. Sometimes there are layers of pain best helped through a multidisciplinary approach. In this book we have joined forces with many of our favorite collaborators - 45 specialists in 18 fields - to teach people with pelvic pain what might be wrong, whom to see, how to ask the right questions in a medical visit, and how to improve pain.​ Click Here for the Video Transcript.
​
- Elise J.B. De, M.D. and Theodore A. Stern, M.D.
Elise J.B. De, MD is an Associate Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School, a Staff Urologist at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in the Department of Urology and the Center for Pelvic Floor Disorders, the Director of Urology Training for Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery, and the Director of Neurourology Services for the Spaulding Rehabilitation Network. She is Chair of the Education Committee for the International Continence Society, has published scores of articles and book chapters on voiding dysfunction, pelvic reconstruction, neurogenic bladder, and pelvic pain, has edited a surgical video atlas on pelvic floor reconstruction, and delivered hundreds of presentations worldwide.
Dr. De’s current research focuses on pelvic pain and voiding dysfunction. Along with her colleagues she has developed two large networks for the multidisciplinary care of pelvic pain—at the Albany Pelvic Heath Center and at the MGH.
​
Dr. De has two wonderful teenage children, a beloved partner, finds strength in the courage of her patients, peace in a nice view, and centeredness in nature.
Theodore A. Stern, MD is the Ned H. Cassem Professor of Psychiatry in the field of Psychosomatic Medicine/Consultation, Harvard Medical School and Chief Emeritus of the Avery D. Weisman Psychiatry Consultation Service, and Director of the Thomas P. Hackett Center for Scholarship in Psychosomatic Medicine at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. Dr. Stern has written more than 450 scientific articles and book chapters and edited more than 40 books, including the Massachusetts General Hospital Handbook of General Hospital Psychiatry (4/e–7/e), Massachusetts General Hospital Comprehensive Clinical Psychiatry (1/e, 2/e),
Massachusetts General Hospital Guide to Primary Care Psychiatry (1/e, 2/e), Massachusetts General Hospital Psychiatry Update and Board Preparation (1/e–4/e), and Facing Cancer, Facing Heart Disease, Facing Diabetes, Facing Rheumatoid Arthritis, Facing Immunotherapy, Facing Transplantation, Facing Cystic Fibrosis, Facing Lupus, Facing Osteoporosis, Facing Scleroderma, Facing Eczema, Facing Psoriasis, Facing Vitiligo, Facing Postoperative Pain, and Facing Overweight and Obesity. He is also the Editor-in-Chief of the journal Psychosomatics.
​
Dr. Stern has made mentoring of physicians in their careers and publishing high quality educational material his legacy.
The aims of Facing Pelvic Pain
Uncovering the root cause of your pain
Explaining diagnostic tests that determine causes of pain
Facilitating understanding between you and your doctors
Aiding the learning process with full diagrams & visuals
Getting back to normalcy and happy health (even if pain persists or a cause is not identified)
Understanding medications - when to use, their benefits, and side effects.
.png)
Healing takes time
We wrote this book to help you find comfort, understanding and strength (no matter which stage of the recovery process you may find yourself or loved one).
​
By gathering 45 different experts who communicate across specialities, we offer you our combined research and latest findings based on success with patients in our hospitals and pain clinics.
There is a path through this...
