Endometriosis
It’s common for women to think that pain during their periods is normal. But when pain caused by endometriosis affects your quality of life—or your infertility—there’s a lot we can do to help. From medications and therapy to surgery, our caring and knowledgeable experts are ready to help you create a life, and future, you love.
Endometriosis Symptoms and Risks
During your reproductive years, your uterus is lined with endometrial tissue, called an endometrium. Each menstrual cycle, your body grows a new endometrium to prepare for a fertilized egg. If there is no fertilized egg, the endometrial tissue breaks down and exits your body during your period.
If you have endometriosis, however, the endometrial tissue grows outside, rather than inside, your uterus. And since the tissue has no way to exit your body, it becomes trapped, aggravating surrounding tissues and often, resulting in extreme pain.
In some cases, endometriosis requires no treatment—simply a “watch and wait” approach. But you should seek help if your endometriosis is causing problems like:
- Heavy bleeding during periods
- Infertility
- Pain during sexual intercourse
- Painful menstrual cramps lower back
- Lower back pain
- Unusually long periods
Infertility is common with endometriosis. In fact, according to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, 24% to 50% of women with infertility have endometriosis. While doctors don’t fully understand the relationship between endometriosis and infertility yet, they believe that scar tissue from endometriosis may affect the release of eggs from the ovaries or block the egg’s path in the fallopian tube.
Endometriosis Treatment
The experts at Owensboro Health are here to help with a wide variety of treatment options for endometriosis, including:
- Hormonal therapy
- Pain management medication
- Physical therapy for pelvic pain
- Surgery
Surgical Procedures
- Ablation. In some cases, using intense heat to destroy endometrial tissue, is necessary to help patients find relief.
- Hysterectomy (removal of the uterus). Depending on your condition, we may recommend a hysterectomy to alleviate your symptoms. Our recommendation may also include removing your ovaries in the same procedure since it can help slow endometrial tissue growth.
- Laparoscopy. During this minimally invasive procedure, we make a few small incisions in your abdomen to make way for a light, camera and small surgical tools that help us remove the endometrial tissue.
Whatever your unique needs, you can count on our doctors to get to know you as a patient. By understanding how your symptoms have affected your quality of life—and your goals for the future—we’ll help you find the best path forward.