Melissa McHale, MD

Dr. McHale is a dream surgeon. She treats you as a person with empathy and kindness. She patiently answered all my questions and addressed my concerns during a difficult time for me. We need more surgeons like Dr. McHale.” Dr. McHale is a dream surgeon. She treats you as a person with empathy and kindness. She patiently answered all my questions and addressed my concerns during a difficult time for me. We need more surgeons like Dr. McHale.

I had a wonderful experience at PRM! I immediately noticed how much more attuned everyone was to the patient’s experience than anywhere else I had been. I’ve copied my review of Dr. McHale below – she was the main person working with me – but the rest of the staff were also incredibly kind and helpful, including the receptionist and the person doing the financial counseling side. It really feels like your pain matters to everyone there and they genuinely want to help you – it’s not just a job to them.

Dr. McHale is the best of the best! Before finding her I had undergone two prior excision surgeries with two other surgeons that both came highly recommended – but Dr. McHale is on a whole different level than they were. Some of the things I really appreciate about her:
1. She’s incredibly empathetic about pain, and goes out of her way to ensure she’s not aggravating endo pain unnecessarily during exams (provides a heating pad, lets you insert ultrasound probe yourself, asks for pain updates throughout, etc.)
2. She’s very clearly up to date on the latest research. When she refers to what’s known about endometriosis and applies it to your situation she’ll summarize recent study findings for you, not just make vague generalizations. And yes, this means she does excision-only surgery, never ablation, and is willing to take as long as she needs to during surgery to check all over for hard-to-see endo and get everything out (in my case 7 hours!)
3. She is proactive about everything!! From ordering extra imaging, to adding extra testing during surgery (like an HSG for example), she’s already on top of it before you even have to ask. This is such a big one for me – with other endo specialists I have had to practically beg them for imaging, or had them only realize they should have done something before or during surgery once it’s too late. Not with Dr. McHale!!
4. She always makes you feel like you’re worth her time and your questions are valid. I asked her so many questions and took up a lot of her time, and never once did she rush me – in fact, I could tell it was important to her to help me be fully informed. And she explained everything in a way that was detailed but also clear enough for someone who isn’t a medical professional to understand. This was such a huge blessing for me when I was feeling overwhelmed and anxious thinking about my treatment options.
5. She goes above and beyond making sure that your post-op recovery goes well. Again, I’ve worked with other surgeons who were considered great by industry standards, and they were all nice people, but none of them were nearly as attentive post-surgery as Dr. McHale. She was very clearly concerned with protecting the healing process above all else. Other surgeons will sometimes cave to social pressure to send people back to work/get them out of the hospital ASAP but Dr. McHale was only interested in what was best for me. She also called me regularly once I was at home to check on me, which really made me feel cared for.

It’s hard to even express how grateful I am to have found Dr. McHale. I wish everyone in the medical field was like her. I absolutely recommend her to anyone who is reading this!

Dr. McHale is absolutely WONDERFUL! I found her after a suggestion by my GI that I could have endometriosis. My consult with Dr. McHale was great. She was so incredibly kind and validating to my experience and pain. She treated me so differently compared to other doctors I had seen over the years. She saw me as a person, not only as someone with a list of symptoms.

Throughout the entire consult, I felt heard and understood. She answered every single one of my questions, no matter how small they seemed to me. I remember I kept saying, “can I ask you another question?” and “I’m sorry, this may be a stupid question, but…” – Dr. McHale was so patient and through. She had me sent for some additional imaging, but was very sure I had endo just from the consult. I had never felt so relieved – someone finally was listening!

Surgery was a few months later. Hearing that she got all the endo was such a relief! I am now almost 4 months post-op, and still so happy with the result of the surgery.

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU, Dr. McHale (and the wonderful staff at Pelvic Rehabilitation Medicine) for everything!

My encounter with endometriosis began at the age of 15, where persistent pain led to repeated dismissals by doctors who attributed my symptoms to normal period cramps—a recurring theme in the experiences of many women diagnosed with endometriosis. Over the years, I found myself in the emergency room countless times. In the past two years alone, I underwent hospitalization on three separate occasions, each time experiencing extensive damage to other organs from the endometriosis. Despite enduring two unsuccessful surgeries from previous OBs, the removal of my appendix, and a partial bowel resection, relief seemed elusive until recently.

It took me 15 years to find hope and relief, which was brought to me by my current doctor and specialist, Dr. Melissa McHale. Dealing with my stage IV endometriosis, Dr. McHale, along with Colorectal surgeon Dr. Obias, successfully excised the endometriosis from my colon, bladder, rectum, abdominal wall, and more. I cannot adequately express the positive impact Dr. McHale has had on my life. She offered hope, reassurance, and guidance, never doubting my pain. Her expertise, delicate approach, and informative communication left me completely comfortable and confident in her treatment plan.

Six weeks post-surgery, I am already experiencing a significantly improved quality of life. Endometriosis, being a full-body disease, has affected many, and Dr. McHale is a steadfast ally in this lifelong battle. I am immensely grateful to Dr. McHale for giving me my life back. Thank you, Dr. McHale!

Best,
Paige

Dr. Melissa McHale was the first doctor in 10 years who took my endometriosis pain seriously.

I had been struggling with endo since I was 12 years old and was told by countless gyno’s that I was completely normal and the pain would go away; it never did.
For anyone with endo, you know exactly how frustrating it is to hear how “normal” you are and not taken seriously with what you’re truly going through.

After suffering for too long and feeling like my body was shutting down, I reached out to Dr. Andrea Vidali’s office and he then let me meet Melissa and I felt so much comfort with being around her!
She actually listens and cares about what you’re saying. She truly wants to help and has so much empathy.
She’s so knowledgeable about endometriosis and she knows exactly what to look for with signs and symtoms.
She does not downplay your pain and will be that helping hand when you need her.

She stepped up fast and helped me immediately as soon as she met me, knowing how long I’d been suffering.
She was there every step of the way and answered absolutely any question I had with ease and patience. Every single one. I had never gone through anything like this before, so I was nervous and had a lot to ask.

I had my surgery in June 2022 and have never felt better in my entire life. I can finally walk around pain free and recovery was amazing! I feel like a normal woman for once! 🥰

She still keeps in touch to check on me and see if symtoms are coming back, and just the fact that she cares that much to keep checking proves how much she wants to help and keep helping!

I’m so beyond thankful for her and I trust her so much. I wouldn’t trade her for any other doctor and If I were to ever need another procedure or surgery again, I would 100% go to her! She’s the best!

We cannot recommend Dr McHale highly enough. Dr McHale is a highly skilled and dedicated surgeon who specializes in a common female disease that is often misunderstood even by ob-gynecologists. It is hard to find good specialists who will treat minors for this condition. In fact, many doctors normalize the high levels of pain and disability associated with this condition when it is not treated by a skilled specialist. Dr McHale and her team are thorough, compassionate, practical, ethical and well organized. Dr McHale personally checked on our daughter many times post operatively in order to answer questions and assuage concerns.

We also appreciate Dr McHale’s strong EQ and social skills that are evident in her bedside manner. No concerns, however minor, were minimized or dismissed. She has a delightful sense of humor where all the jokes are designed to put her patients at ease. She was serious about all the right things when she needed to be but not so much that patients feel nervous or intimidated.

We highly recommend Dr McHale as an endo specialist and surgeon.