Diagnosis and Treatment of endometriosis

What is Endometriosis ?

This is a medical condition where the tissue that usually grows inside the uterus (womb) is found growing in an abnormal anatomical location like growing outside of the uterus. Endometriosis is a common condition and sometimes it might not display any signs or symptoms, otherwise, it might lead to painful menstruation. It is also associated with infertility.

This condition usually occurs inside the Fallopian tubes and outside of the tubes and ovaries, another location is the outer surface of the uterus and intestines, and anywhere on the pelvic cavity surface.

Endometriosis can lead to the following complications if left untreated:

Infertility, which can affect 50 percent of those with the condition.
Increased risk of developing ovarian cancer or endometriosis-associated adenocarcinoma
Ovarian cysts
Inflammation
Scar tissue and adhesion development
Intestinal and bladder complications

Signs and Symptoms

Some of the signs and symptoms that patients from Endometriosis experience are:

Painful periods (dysmenorrhea).
Pelvic pain and cramping might begin after the period and can extend to several days into the period
Pain during intercourse
Pain during bowel movements or urination
Excessive bleeding
Infertility
Fatigue, diarrhea, constipation, bloating or nausea, especially during menstrual periods.

Endometriosis Diagnosis

The doctor usually diagnoses endometriosis and other related medical conditions that can cause pelvic pain, by performing diagnostic tests. The different endometriosis diagnosis tests that are used to check for physical clues of endometriosis are:

Pelvic exam
Ultrasound
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
Laparoscopy

Endometriosis Treatment

The doctor might recommend different options for Endometriosis Treatment. Some of the therapies that doctors usually opt for are:

Hormone Treatments: Some of the hormone treatments that doctors recommend are:
- Hormonal contraceptives, Birth control pills, patches, and vaginal rings help control the hormones responsible for the buildup of endometrial tissue each month
- Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (Gn-RH) agonists and antagonists
- Progestin therapy
- Aromatase inhibitors
Laparoscopic Surgery
Surgeons usually recommend Laparoscopy for both the diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis. This procedure allows for the observation of the reproductive organs without the need for a large abdominal incision.

During the procedure, the surgeon will make a small incision near the patient’s belly button and will fill the abdomen first with CO2 gas to get a better look at the internal organs.

Then the doctor will insert a laparoscope, which is a thin tube with a video camera at one end, to look for scarring on the uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes, bladder, and other organs.

The surgeon will then remove any endometriosis scarring and lesions during the laparoscopy using specialised tiny surgical instruments.