Chronic Pelvic Pain

Chronic pelvic pain plagues nearly 200,000 women in the United States, and doctors have been at a loss to explain its cause. The symptoms accompanying this condition can include fatigue, pelvic discomfort, painful intercourse, and difficulty standing for long periods. Patients often go from doctor to doctor, receiving batteries of tests, only to be finally informed that the problem is psychological.

Recently researchers at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, believe they have figured out the cause of many of these cases - varicose veins in the ovaries. The treatment is minimally invasive surgery involving the insertion of a catheter into the veins to clot them. This procedure closes off the veins, curing the problem.