Health Organization for Pudendal Education

So the difference between endoscopy and laparoscopy is that the former uses one port whereas the latter uses several (in my case, five)?

No unfortunately, you will still have holeS. Endo is more of a blanket term for 'looking in' side and gastro, lapero etc different surgical areas in the body rather than type of surgery it seems. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency ... 003338.htm
I know this patient has 5 portholes too Lernica. Although another guy (piriformis surgery) had 3. Maybe Dr Martin uses this term because he was/is a hip surgeon? but that would be arthroscopic (joints) Don't really know? ?

Interesting. I would really like to see some published information about this endoscopic surgery. Can't seem to find anything about his technique online. I find it hard to believe that the entire nerve could be decompressed endoscopically.

Lauren, how are you feeling from your hip surgery? Haven't seen an update from you lately.

Here is something about pelvic/sciatic decompression.. . . .His research paper and a clip from a surgical video:

http://www.arthroscopyjournal.org/artic ... 0/fulltext

I just had laparoscopic surgery to fix my Pudendal Nerve Entrapment seven weeks ago. Dr. Martin had done a previous surgery nine months prior to fix a torn labrum, release my sciatic nerve, remove a piece of bone from my femoral head and reshape my hip socket. All on the right hip. That only took 5 small cuts. He went in the two cuts he used to release my sciatic nerve for this PN release. I did have the CMP machine again for this surgery and started PT 4 days after surgery. (If you are in Oklahoma ask for Bobby for PT! Martin will know who he is!)

I still had major pain that Dr. Martin couldn't understand after the first surgery. He and his nurse Shea did a lot of research and really stuck with me until we figured out that this was the PN. I had 3 nerve blocks to make sure that was the problem before the surgery. At 7 weeks, I have a lot less pain down the back of my leg, in my crotch and vagina. I'm so glad he could fix me with only the two cuts. There is no way I could have done the major large cut surgery and kept my life.

Hi lydiac22, Good to hear your positive story and outcome. I think that Dr Martin was certainly switched on to pelvic sciatic entrapment and now pudendal too. I know what you mean about 'working with you'. He doesn't seem to be the type of doctor who is a one bit blinkered in his search for a true diagnosis, he is happy to think outside the box and really address a patients actual problems, from what I have heard of him.
I hope you and all of his patients continue to improve.
Take care,
Helen

We probably need some clarification on the exact approach Dr. Martin uses. An endoscopic surgery simply refers to the tool that is used during surgery but tells you nothing about the point of entry or approach used. An endoscope can be inserted through the mouth or the rectum for bronchoscopy or sigmoidoscopy. Dr. Bautrant often uses an endoscope during PNE surgery and the incision he makes is only 5 cm long.

Thanks for posting, Lydia. Hope to hear more good news from you in the future.

Best,

Violet

For more information you can read about it here. There is a video under supplemental materials. Dr. Martin wrote this paper.

http://www.arthroscopyjournal.org/artic ... 0/abstract

If you visit his website, under is biography there are many papers by him.

Though this article is based on sciatic nerve release the same techniques are applied to address the pudendal nerve and others like the obturator internas and the posterior femoral cutaneous nerve.

Endoscope techniques are used in many minimally invasive surgeries for the spine, joint replacement, hysterectomies, gall bladder and other organ removals, etc. Small incisions using small surgical tools.

Surgical photos of the location of the incisions have been posted on another support group for piriformis syndrome.

Thanks Paulette for this information. Hope you feel better soon!

Calluna,
How are you feeling?

Doing well, thankyou Laura! I shall post a bit more in the Case Updates soon.