“General Hospital'”s“ ”Kate Mansi Says Life-Saving Surgery Performed by Her Stepdad Led to Endometriosis Diagnosis (Exclusive)
“General Hospital'”s“ ”Kate Mansi Says Life-Saving Surgery Performed by Her Stepdad Led to Endometriosis Diagnosis (Exclusive)
Vanessa EtienneWed, March 11, 2026 at 10:46 PM UTC
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1 / 0“General Hospital'”s“ ”Kate Mansi Says Life-Saving Surgery Performed by Her Stepdad Led to Endometriosis Diagnosis (Exclusive)Kate MansiCredit: Courtesy of The Riker BrothersKate MansiCredit: Courtesy of The Riker Brothers -
Kate Mansi reflects on her 2015 endometriosis diagnosis after a life-saving surgery revealed a ruptured ovarian cyst
The actress shares how her condition has impacted her life in honor of March’s Endometriosis Awareness Month
Mansi directed a General Hospital episode addressing endometriosis to raise awareness and encourage open conversations
General Hospital star Kate Mansi is reflecting on the moment a life-saving surgery led to her endometriosis diagnosis, and why she’s dedicated to speaking out about the condition.
In honor of March’s Endometriosis Awareness Month, the 38-year-old actress spoke to PEOPLE about her unique experience with endometriosis, the reproductive condition in which uterine tissue grows outside of the uterus, causing cramping and chronic pain.
Mansi didn’t grow up with abnormal periods or cramping, so a condition like endometriosis was never on her radar. However, one day in 2015 she started experiencing severe pain, heavy bleeding and nausea, and her stomach became distended.
“It had been going on for a couple days and doctors just kept dismissing it,” she recalls.
“I think as a society we are so ingrained to just listen to what the doctors say and abandon what we feel,” she says. “I went into these appointments and they said, ‘Oh, maybe the pain is because your IUD is turning.’ And then I would do an ultrasound. No, it's not my IUD. ‘Okay, well maybe it's just a bad period.’ I was getting really nauseous and I had been throwing up for days and they said maybe I had the flu. Maybe it's this, maybe it's that.”
Kate MansiCredit: Frazer Harrison/Getty
Mansi was calling and visiting her doctor several times for four days straight. During that time, she was still trying to push through her pain and continue working. She says by the end of the week, her stomach was “so distended that I couldn't even zip up my pants.”
The actress even recalls her makeup artist telling her she looked “green and pale” but Mansi pushed to make it through on set.
“I've never gone through childbirth, but it felt like I was having extreme contractions. They would say action, I would do my scene, and then the second they said cut, I was literally doubled over in pain,” she says. “It got unbearable that I ended up driving myself to the emergency room that day.”
Mansi’s mother — along with her stepfather, who is an OB-GYN — met her at the hospital. After testing, scans revealed an 11-centimeter mass in her abdomen. She says doctors “jumped to conclusions” and called an oncologist. However, her stepfather advocated for an immediate surgery.
Kate Mansi directingCredit: Disney/Christine Bartolucci
“My stepdad was so frustrated — and because he's my stepfather, so it's not a blood relation — he scrubbed in himself and was like, ‘I’m not waiting for an oncologist. I'm gonna do the surgery or she’s not gonna make it.’ And he did a surgery that ended up saving my life,” she says. “I was in the worst pain of my life and it turns out, I had an ovarian cyst rupturing, and I was working through it for days.”
“The ovarian cyst coincidentally was sitting on top of a blood vessel. So when it burst, it hit the blood vessel and then it leaked a liter and a half of blood into my abdomen,” she explains. “All the blood had coagulated together into this 11-centimeter mass, cutting off blood and oxygen. He obviously took it out, but then he found all this endometriotic tissue.”
Mansi remembers the entire ordeal being “so scary," but it ultimately led to her diagnosis.
“When I came out of surgery, I had lost so much blood that I needed blood transfusions. And my stepdad told me, ‘You have endometriosis and this is what that means.’ And that was the first time I had ever even heard that word,” she says.
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Behind the scenes of Kate Mansi directingCredit: Courtesy of DISNEY
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After that moment, Mansi did a lot of research on endometriosis and how to manage flare-ups moving forward. The Emmy winner also went through the process of freezing her eggs years later.
Since her diagnosis, she’s learned that the condition is “not one-size-fits-all” and her symptoms change all the time. However, she says, “I have been lucky enough to have it be much more stable now.”
Matt McInnis and Kate MansiCredit: Courtesy of Kate Mansi
Mansi also praises the support of her husband Matt McInnis, whom she married in May 2025. She says he’s the first partner she’s had who “takes my endometriosis seriously, but doesn't let it define me.”
The General Hospital actress says she knows how much of an impact endometriosis can have on a couple. And she shares her excitement that this sort of “relationship-defining moment” will now be depicted on screen.
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Mansi — who portrays Kristina in General Hospital — directed an upcoming episode of the soap opera that touches on endometriosis, merging her personal health journey with her career.
The episode, which airs March 16, will feature Kristina’s sister Molly, who experiences a flare-up related to the condition and has an candid and educational conversation about her experience with her new boyfriend Cody.
“As someone who's been in this industry for a while, I've never even read a script in my life to this day, apart from here, that even mentioned endometriosis,” Mansi says. “So I was so proud of ABC and [executive producer] Frank Valentini and the writers for telling this story. I was so honored and it should be something that is represented more.”
Kate Mansi directing 'General Hospital'Credit: Courtesy of DISNEY
“The attention and care that they put into this story was so meaningful,” she adds. “But my approach as a director, I really wanted to focus on Molly’s vulnerability, but her strength and how so many people with endometriosis often hide behind the strength and resiliency so that we don't look weak and we just can make it seem like everything's fine. And then matching that with Cody's sensitivity and his care and love for his partner.”
Mansi says that after directing the scene, she had members of the cast and crew come up to her and connect about their shared endometriosis experience. She tells PEOPLE that she hopes that the episode will build on that, and lead to more conversations about the condition.
“I hope that people with endometriosis or PCOS or anything similar feel as I feel when I hear people speak about it and are empowered to do the same,” she tells PEOPLE. “Empowered to speak up, telling their stories and coming out of their shadows and realizing we don't have to live with this quietly anymore.”
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