Robotic surgery ends years of endometriosis pain for nurse
July 23, 2026Categories: Robotic Surgery Patient Stories
MercyOne - a leader in robotic surgery Women's Health at MercyOne
Bedridden from pain during her menstrual cycle. Trips to the Emergency Department, fearing she had a burst appendix. Heavy bleeding, severe fatigue, missed work and a bloated belly that made her look pregnant.
That was the reality of Allison Dussliere’s monthly periods, when her endometriosis would flare up, and these symptoms would majorly disrupt her home, work and social life. Today, the monthly pain is behind her.
The latest in robotic technology
This spring, Allison, 30, of East Moline, Ill, underwent a robotic-assisted hysterectomy with the da Vinci 5 robotic surgical system, finally ending the cycles of gripping pain, bloating and missed opportunities. With two sons, ages 11 and 2, and her childbearing behind her, she decided to have the medically needed procedure at MercyOne Genesis Davenport Medical Center.
A nurse at the hospital’s Outpatient Care Center, Allison had seen firsthand the faster recovery, smaller incisions, decreased pain, infection risk and scarring, and the reduced need for pain-killing narcotics with robotic-assisted surgery.
She became the first patient of board-certified gynecologist Deirdre Knobeloch, DO, to benefit from the new da Vinci 5 robot, the next generation of surgical precision. The da Vinci 5 joins MercyOne’s existing da Vinci Xi platform to bring 20+ years of robotic experience and leading-edge care close to home.
Allison has no regrets.
A life transformed
From her very first period as a youngster, her rite of passage into womanhood brought excessive pain and cramping each month. Once she sought care, it took seven years for her to be diagnosed with endometriosis, a chronic condition where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside of the uterus, often on the ovaries, fallopian tubes or pelvic lining. This displaced tissue thickens, breaks down and bleeds with each menstrual cycle, leading to inflammation, scarring and severe pain.
“Since this surgery, my pain is completely gone. I’m able to be more present as a mother for my kids now that I’m not in bed for a week or more every single month due to pain and cramping. It was so awful, sometimes I would need help walking to the bathroom.” Allison said. “Now, I’m able to be more active. I’ve lost 20 pounds and no longer have endo belly.”
“Endo belly,” a nickname for the severe abdominal bloating and distension caused by chronic inflammation from endometriosis, can look like a woman is pregnant.
An easier recovery
As a nurse caring for outpatient surgery patients, Allison sees how robotic surgery is a much easier recovery vs. laparoscopic or open procedures.
“Like any patient, I had some nerves and anxiety about having surgery but witnessing the difference robotic surgery has made in people’s recovery gave me more confidence,” Allison said.
“Robotic surgery patients have better pain control post-operatively after surgery and are up and moving around more quickly, myself included. I was walking around maybe 2-3 hours after my surgery. Even with minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery, we tend to see patients walking after 5-6 hours. Those couple of hours can make a very big difference.”
Very important to her, Allison didn’t have to heavily rely on narcotic pain medicine once she got home, needing to take only two pills for pain. “From a nurse’s perspective, there’s always concern about becoming too reliant on narcotic medication. I was able to be more alert and aware to continue my household and parental responsibilities.”
It was Dr. Knobeloch’s expertise in endometriosis, her holistic approach, and seeing the outcomes of her surgical patients that motivated Allison to explore robotic hysterectomy. Dr. Knobeloch, a robotic surgeon, is fellowship-trained in minimally invasive gynecological surgery.
“Dr. Knobeloch was caring, understanding and explained everything well. She takes her time. She listens. She even came into the Operating Room before I was asleep, which is not necessarily common,” Allison said.
While the da Vinci surgical system offers surgeons enhanced precision, visualization and robotic “wrists” for a greater range of motion, the surgeon is always in full control. The robot never acts independently.
A misunderstood condition
After surgery, Allison was off work recovering for eight weeks. She’s back to nursing, without the crippling symptoms that would make it difficult to get through the workday when she was on her period. “Honestly, I got really, really lucky with how understanding my MercyOne Genesis manager and co-workers were because a lot of people don’t understand the severity of endometriosis pain and how much it can impede you.”
Allison’s experience with endometriosis reminds her to “fully listen” to her patients and to believe them when they tell her they’re in pain or experiencing other symptoms.
“No one knows their pain better than the person experiencing it,” she concluded. “A lot of women with endometriosis, myself included, are written off as being overdramatic or told ‘It’s just a period problem’ when that’s not the case at all."
