Finding Hope through Comprehensive Care
Kasie knows all too well that not all surgical approaches are equal. In 2018, after three years of infertility, she underwent a laparoscopic surgery to treat endometriosis – with fulguration. Despite being the conventional treatment for this condition, fulguration often leaves behind diseased tissue and comes with a heightened risk of post-operative inflammation and scarring.
By spring 2019, she had still not achieved pregnancy and her troubling endometriosis symptoms persisted. Kasie turned to Dr. Gavin Puthoff, who recommended she undergo a second procedure, this time a laparoscopic excision using advanced reproductive surgical techniques.
This method proved much more successful: Dr. Puthoff was able to completely remove the remaining endometriosis—which was extensive—including lesions on delicate structures. “After surgery, Dr. Puthoff told me if he didn’t know otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to tell that I’d just had surgery for endometriosis a few months earlier,” Kasie says.
From the beginning, Kasie says she felt like Dr. Puthoff treated her like family. The feeling was solidified in the moments before her surgery. “Dr. Puthoff came into the room where I was waiting with my husband and mom and asked if he could pray with me,” Kasie says. “Of course, I bawled like a baby because faith is the No. 1 thing for me.”
A few months later, Kasie achieved pregnancy, which unfortunately ended in a miscarriage. Even though her infertility journey continues, she says the endometriosis excision resulted in a major improvement to her quality of life. “Dr. Puthoff doesn’t just treat infertility—he helps you learn your body and what’s normal,” she says. “He healed my cycles. I didn’t know periods weren’t supposed to have you in bed in pain for three days.”
Kasie notes that Dr. Puthoff also looks out for the emotional health of his patients. In 2020, before beginning a more aggressive round of treatment, Dr. Puthoff insisted Kasie and her husband take a three-month break from all the testing and medications. “I fought with him, but he knew I was going to a dark place and needed to pause for my emotional well-being,” she says. “This was one of the best things he did for me. It took the pressure off and gave my husband and me a chance to reconnect.”
That emotional support has been key to making the process a little more bearable. “You go into Dr. Puthoff’s office feeling defeated and figuring out how you’re going to protect your heart, but you always leave feeling empowered,” she says. “He never gives up on you and is willing to try anything.”
