Beyond the Pain: Understanding Endometriosis

My name is Dr. Eric Crihfield, I am a fellowship trained minimally invasive gynecologic surgeon who is part of Northwell’s Katz Institute for Women’s Health faculty. I focus in complex hysteroscopic, laparoscopic and robotic surgery and the treatment of conditions such as fibroids, abnormal bleeding, endometriosis, and pelvic pain. My passion is managing even the largest fibroids and most complex surgeries through small incisions using laparoscopy, resulting in reduced pain and faster recovery, but also to be able to provide a wide range of non-surgical management options for the conditions I specialize in. I am also an assistant professor at the Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell and a member of the American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists (AAGL). I have presented my surgical techniques multiple times at AAGL’s annual global conference.

Melissa Nicosia, MD, is a board-certified fellowship-trained gynecologic surgeon with a focused practice in minimally invasive surgery. She also serves as the Director of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Mather Hospital in Port Jefferson, NY. She specializes in laparoscopic, robotic-assisted, and vaginal surgery for patients suffering from endometriosis, fibroids, adenomyosis, chronic pelvic pain, menstrual problems, and ovarian cysts.
She completed her residency at New York University in Obstetrics and Gynecology and pursued a fellowship in minimally invasive gynecologic surgery at Virginia Mason Hospital in Seattle, Washington.  Dr. Nicosia prioritizes empowering patients to understand their conditions and their options for management—medical or surgical—and helping patients to make decisions that are best for themselves. “Each patient is a unique person with individual symptoms, challenges, and goals. It is important to understand that we are treating the whole person, not just a symptom, and that we create an individualized approach together,” Dr. Nicosia says.
Dr. Nicosia has traveled across the country and the world to provide medical and surgical care to those in need. She has presented her research and surgical approaches at national and international conferences. Her academic interests include leveraging technology and patient education to achieve high patient satisfaction and superior quality of surgical care. Dr. Nicosia is an assistant professor at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. She is a member of the Katz Institute of Women’s Health, the American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists (AAGL) and The Menopause Society.