Dr. Jessica Opoku-Anane joins Columbia Ob/Gyn to Build New Endometriosis Center

The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Columbia University Irving Medical Center is pleased to welcome Jessica Opoku-Anane, MD, MS as a new faculty member in the Division of Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery. Dr. Opoku-Anane will establish a Comprehensive Endometriosis Center and will serve as director. She is also a Co-Director of the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Department of Ob/Gyn.

Prior to joining Columbia, Dr. Opoku-Anane served as an associate professor in the UCSF Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences where she served as the Chief of Minimally Invasive Gynecology and Urogynecology and Director of the UCSF Endometriosis Center.

 “We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Opoku-Anane as a new faculty member,” said Mary E. D’Alton, MD, Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. “Expanding our efforts to treat patients with endometriosis is a cornerstone of our mission to advance women’s health. Dr. Opoku-Anane’s expertise in endometriosis and all aspects of minimally invasive gynecologic surgery will ensure we can care for and educate more women about this treatable condition than ever before.”

With the development of the Comprehensive Endometriosis Center, Dr. Opoku-Anane will oversee the department’s leading-edge clinical and surgical offerings for patients with endometriosis, a condition that affects as many as one in 10 women. The goal of the center is early diagnosis of endometriosis, holistic care, and the least invasive treatment possible, including fertility-sparing options. Learn more about our approach to endometriosis treatment. It will also make more accessible other therapies and pain management strategies to patients.

“Endometriosis is a relatively common condition, but many women have challenges obtaining a diagnosis,” said Dr. Opoku-Anane. “Receiving an early diagnosis and treatment for this condition can have a major impact for patients, especially as they look toward planning a family. I look forward to building a treatment center for endometriosis to change the lives of many more women.”

An advocate for health equity, Dr. Opoku-Anane will also work alongside the department to do outreach and education among underserved populations in New York City through engaging community organizations and digital outreach.

“Achieving health equity requires committing to providing high-quality healthcare for all, including underserved populations, who may face greater difficulties accessing health care systems,” said Dr. Opoku-Anane. “Outreach and education are crucial to breaking down the systemic barriers that prevent many New Yorkers from getting the care they need and deserve. We will specifically work to reach out to Black women, who can face some of the greatest challenges in getting high quality healthcare in our city.”

Dr. Opoku-Anane specializes in the treatment of uterine fibroids, menstrual disorders, endometriosis and pelvic pain, ovarian pathology, intrauterine scarring (Asherman's), Mullerian anomalies, alternatives to hysterectomy, and minimally invasive gynecologic surgery. She has received several awards, including the prestigious AAGL award for excellence in endoscopic surgery.

In addition to her clinical activities, she has been active in research and spent two years with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) both locally and in sub-Saharan Africa. Her more recent research includes a randomized control trial to test the ability of antifibrinolytics to decrease blood loss during myomectomy, a study accessing cancer associated mutations in deep endometriosis, and several studies on health equity among historically marginalized patients with endometriosis.

Dr. Opoku-Anane also has a longstanding interest in global health and spent extended periods of time throughout Africa on clinical and research programs. She has published a systematic review article on increasing laparoscopic surgery in developing countries and assists with the development of laparoscopic programs throughout sub-Saharan Arica. She is also a fellow of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and a member of the American Association of Laparoscopic Gynecologists and the World Endometriosis Society.

Dr. Opoku-Anane obtained her medical degree from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and went on to complete her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Harvard Brigham and Women’s and Massachusetts General Hospitals. She subsequently completed an AAGL fellowship in advanced minimally invasive gynecologic surgery at George Washington University and trained at the Center for Endometriosis Care in Atlanta.

For more information and to make an appointment with Dr. Opoku-Anane, visit doctors.columbia.edu.