Nicholas Fogelson, MD and Shanti Mohling, MD - Northwest Endometriosis and Pelvic Surgery

"Overall, a 10/10 experience. I’m so, so grateful for Dr. Fogelson. He listens. He‘s knowledgeable about all things pelvic (endometriosis, adenomyosis, fibroids, you name it). He follows up and never leaves you hanging. Best of all, he can perform often complex surgeries that are required to remove Endometriosis at its root. Dr. Fogelson never once doubted my symptoms, questioned my story or pain. Conversing with him was/is SO refreshing after being brushed aside by SO many doctors and nurses over the years. I had endometriosis excision surgery in his Portland office September 2018. Dr. Fogelson and his team removed endometrioma from both ovaries, lesions and adhesions that were on my bladder, rectum, outside of my uterus, and... gosh, you-name-it. In the end he diagnosed me as having endo 2-3. It was a 3.5 hour surgery I was *terrified* to undergo, especially since my last surgery was an absolute nightmare in so many ways. But looking back I really was in the best, most capable hands. And now I feel a lot better. Honest talk - I still have some pain, but the *significant* reduction in my pain levels has been worth it (I started IVF meds shortly after my excision which has “undone” some of the work Dr. Fogelson did due to the high doses of estrogen). I’m 39 and struggled with symptoms from Endometriosis for 25 years. It’s an enigmatic disease that kept me from enjoying my life and made it hard to work. Lack of energy, torturous periods, deep stabbing pain while eliminating. These were the hallmarks of my life. Now I work the entire day without collapsing into a heap when I get home. There is joy in my life again. Having a high-caliber pelvic surgeon like him in Portland and the Pacific NW is a game-changer. If you are experiencing *anything* in the pelvic region I would just urge you to go see him. There are few doctors as knowledgeable as him in the entire country. Dr. Fogelson was genuinely concerned for my comfort and long-term outcome. In fact, I now see him as my regular GYN because he really knows his stuff! I have no doubt he will treat you the same. Were there any downfalls? A few tiny things. I found billing to be a bit confusing, but to be fair his office was transitioning into a new system right when I became a patient. Dr. Fogelson can be quite matter-of-fact when delivering certain bits of information that can be hard to digest. I guess I prefer things sugar coated? For me, when he said my ovaries might be too diseased to be able to become pregnant without an egg donor, I was upset for weeks. He also said that IVF drugs would likely make my endo symptoms worse. Those were hard to hear but I needed to hear them. Another thing, if you have a light stomach you might consider not reviewing your photo/video footage post-surgery. Mine was gruesome. But truly, my comments aren’t true downfalls as much as observations. He and his office staff are truly wonderful (thank you, Milissa)!!! P.S. if you haven’t discovered Nancy’s Nook on FaceBook, check out all the resources there, including a list of vetted surgeons like Dr. Fogelson. UPDATE: Any residual pain I had after surgery with Dr. Fogelson COMPLETELY DISAPPEARED when I started seeing Nari Clemons at Portland Pelvic Therapy — she has magic hands. Do look her up. Worth every dime. Oh, and Dr. Fogelson was right about me needing to work with an egg donor to conceive a child. We welcomed a baby in 2021."

"I recently had the privilege to see Dr. Mohling, and I couldn’t recommend her enough. If you are looking for the type of care that almost doesn't exist, you need to see her. Every surgical technique and pathological finding was directly correlated to my symptoms. It’s only been a week, and I can tell she improved my quality of life forever. Dr. Mohling is a very accomplished professional and has developed extensive knowledge about the disease and exceptional surgical skills. She is also empathetic and very kind. I will never forget she stayed with me while I went to sleep and that I needed minimal pain management because of her unique anesthesia technique. I probably had the most comprehensive exam of my life at her office. Even when we met over Zoom for a complimentary consultation to discuss my case, she reserved time for me and treated me like a person. She listened to my story and reviewed my record in detail. Lacey was spectacular; she went above and beyond and was proactive and ingenious to make sure my surgery didn’t get canceled for reasons outside their control. Everything was so simple. I think we spoke a couple of times, and she handled everything else and booked all my appointments in advance. Thank you for changing my life."

"I flew across the country and paid out of pocket to see Dr. Fogelson. It was worth every penny. I am one of those unique cases that did not see a lot of improvement initially in the first 1-2 years post excision, but I can now say after 3-4 years that my life has changed largely because of my surgery with Dr. Fogelson. I am doing better than I could have ever imagined. I don’t even need Tylenol to manage my pain and I can live a more full life because of it. Not everyone experiences healing and improvement on the same timeline, but my endometrial excision surgery with Dr. Fogelson was so well worth it."

"I HIGHLY recommend Dr. Fogelson! I suffered 10 years from an Abdominal Endometrioma that came from a caesarean section. After 3 surgeries with 3 different in network surgeons, I still experienced excruciating pain before , during , and after cycles that affected my quality of life! I researched and found Dr. Fogelson years ago as being an expert in everything endometriosis and decided to make the trip from Virginia to Portland, Oregon in February 2023. I am proud to say the surgery was successful and I am pain free! I truly feel like a new person. Dr. Fogelson is such a lifesaver, very knowledgable , caring, incredible bedside manner, etc. I can’t thank him enough for making my 10 year problem go completely away!"

"I am so very thankful for the exceptional care and knowledge of Dr. Mohling! After a failed surgery with my general Obgyn 6 months before I was more miserable than ever. I saw 7 other doctors locally for consultations and realized they were unable to truly help me. At that point I started to look for a specialist even if I had to travel. I am so grateful to have found Dr. Mohling through both icarebetter and Nancy’s nook. After reading about her I felt confident that she was the kind of surgeon I needed. When I met her via a zoom consultation I knew she was the doctor for me and it was further confirmed when I met her in person a few days later. Upon meeting her in person, her caring and kind personality put me at ease instantly. She performed the most thorough medical history and physical exam I had ever received, including performing an ultrasound on me herself. She ordered an MRI for further surgery planning. Everything confirmed stage 4 endometriosis with bowel involvement. From this point it took sometime to schedule surgery as her services were in high demand and let me tell you for good reason. My surgery ended up being 8hrs but thanks to her meticulous care, skill and multidisciplinary team she was able to remove this disease that had ravaged my body and had left me in severe daily pain. I am 6 weeks out from my surgery and feel like a new person. I am no longer living in constant pain (have not had to take any pain meds since my first week post surgery, before surgery I was living on ibuprofen and Tylenol just to function a little). I am so very thankful for Dr. Mohling, she was an answer to prayers. She is one of the most caring, down to earth, wonderful doctors you could ever meet. She truly wants to help you feel better and she has the advanced training and experience to do so. Her care was well worth the wait and travel!"