Endometriosis can be one of the most painful conditions a woman experiences. Even if you receive a diagnosis soon after you start having symptoms, it can take time to find the right treatment. March is Endometriosis Awareness Month, so our experts are doing their part to make sure you know when it’s time to see a specialist for relief.
What is Endometriosis?
Endometriosis develops when tissue that’s similar to the lining of the uterus, grows outside the uterus — in places where it shouldn’t be. You can have endometriosis in your ovaries, fallopian tubes and pelvic walls. And, in rare cases, it can even spread to your lungs or brain.
While the tissue in your uterus breaks down and leaves your body during your period, endometrial tissue does not. And when endometriosis creates adhesions (cysts or bands of tissue), your reproductive organs can “stick” together, causing intense pain.
Symptoms of Endometriosis
The most common symptom of endometriosis is pain — often while you’re having your period. Other symptoms can include:
• Heavy or painful periods
• Infertility
• Spotting or bleeding between periods
• Pain during urination or bowel movements while you’re having your period
• Pain during sex
• Fatigue, diarrhea or constipation during periods
In addition to these symptoms, women who have endometriosis often suffer from depression and anxiety — especially if they’ve had symptoms for a long time without a diagnosis.
When to See a Specialist
If you experience painful periods or other bothersome symptoms, you don’t have to suffer in silence: Consulting a skilled doctor can bring you some much-needed relief. Similarly, if becoming pregnant is your goal, a caring doctor can guide you through a treatment plan to increase your chances.
Endometriosis treatment ranges from over-the-counter pain remedies and prescribed medications that control your hormones to surgery to remove lesions and scar tissue.
In the past, surgeons treated endometriosis through open abdominal surgery or by using heat to destroy the tissue. But today, they consider minimally invasive excision surgery the best way to address it.
During a laparoscopic or robotic excision procedure, your surgeon will:
• Insert a laparoscope through a small incision in your abdomen
• Inflate your stomach with gas to get a clear visual of your organs
• Locate the tissue that’s causing your symptoms
• Remove the affected tissue
• Reposition your ovaries and fallopian tubes if needed
One benefit of removing the tissue, rather than burning it off, is that medical team will have a tissue sample to test for other medical conditions and issues. Doing the procedure laparoscopically also allows your medical team to confirm your diagnosis and treat it at the same time.
Other benefits include:
• Faster recovery
• Improved fertility
• Less bleeding
• Reduced chance for infection and other injuries
While excision surgery is not a cure for endometriosis, it can significantly improve your quality of life.
How AdventHealth Can Help
Whether you need relief from painful symptoms or help getting pregnant, the skilled and caring gynecologic surgeons at AdventHealth Tampa are here for you. We’ll work together to ease your pain. And if non-invasive treatments don’t work, we’ll consider minimally invasive excision surgery for advanced endometriosis — all so you can return to your active life.
Contact AdventHealth Tampa today to learn how our providers can get you back to enjoying your life.
