A team of Bristol surgeons is leading the way in treating a condition which affects almost 10 per cent of women.

They have set up the first centre in the region at Southmead Hospital for the treatment of endometriosis, which can lead to women becoming infertile.

The surgeons are the only medics in the West who carry out keyhole surgery to tackle the condition and hope to branch into robotic surgery.

But consultant gynaecologist Sanjay Vyas is concerned that too few women are getting access to appropriate care for endometriosis, which occurs when parts of the womb lining grow outside of the womb and their cells move about the body.

It can cause internal bleeding and scarring where the cells settle, affecting the tissue of organs, most commonly the bowel, bladder and other pelvic structures.

Mr Vyas said endometriosis affects between seven to 10 per cent of women and makes up the bulk of his work.

He sees about 12 women a week at clinics and operates on about 100 a year. At Southmead endometriosis is not treated solely by gynaecologists, but bowel and bladder experts also assist, depending on which organs are most affected by associated scarring.

Mr Vyas said: “We use keyhole surgery for two main reasons, the first is that the surgery is very extensive, but by using this procedure women have a quicker recovery.

“Also, and sometimes a more important reason, using our main camera systems we can actually visualise the area we are operating on, making it much more accurate and there is less risk of damaging adjacent structures.”

Mr Vyas is on the council of the British Society of Gynaecological Endoscopy, and is their lead for keyhole surgery and provides training sessions in the technique for clinicians from other hospitals. He said: “This sort of care is not being made available to women universally and that is either because the service is not available or the referrals are not being made to specialist centres.

“Women with severe endometriosis should be referred to centres such as ours with a surgical team that can provide the best care.”

He said that if keyhole, or laproscopic, surgery was not available, endometriosis can be managed with drugs, which can relieve the symptoms, but will not halt the condition.

As reported in the Bristol Evening Post in April, robot surgery is to be used at Southmead is being brought in to improve the precision of prostate surgery and to speed-up the recovery time after an operation.

Mr Vyas said: “If robotic surgery gives us better results than we have now there will be better results for women in terms of pain reduction and a reduction in risk from this incredibly invasive procedure.”