Causes Of Endometriosis

The exact cause still remains unknown. Retrograde menstruation is usually believed to be the cause – endometrial cell containing menstrual blood flows back through fallopian tubes into the pelvis where the cells stick to other organs. Genetics may also have a role to play.

Complications:-

Up to 40% may suffer from infertility. Inflammation and scar tissue makes it difficult for sperms and egg to move and get fertilised. Surgery can help to regain fertility.
Severe endometriosis pain can affect the quality of life. Surgery usually resolves a pain.
Can lead to anxiety or depression.
Endometriosis may raise the risk of ovarian cancer or another cancer called endometriosis-associated adenocarcinoma.

Diagnosis

Your doctor might suspect endometriosis based on your symptoms. To confirm it, they can do tests including:

• Physical Examination:- Your doctor might be able to feel cysts or scars behind your uterus
• Ultrasound:- Usually the diagnosis is clear in a case of suspected endometriosis on ultrasonography. This is a simple, cheap and harmless test that can quickly establish your diagnosis. In some cases, however, higher tests may be needed.
• CT scan, or an MRI:- In doubtful cases, these tests may be ordered after an ultrasound scan.
• Laparoscopy:- In some cases, a diagnostic laparoscopic surgery will be required to ascertain the diagnosis when other tests fail to confirm it. A very small cut is made in the belly and a small scope is inserted to see the inside view of the abdomen.
• Biopsy:– Your doctor takes a sample of tissue, often during a laparoscopy, and a specialist looks at it under a microscope to confirm the diagnosis.

Treatment Of Endometriosis

Even though there is no cure for endometriosis but symptoms will eventually settle after menstruation or for the time being if one becomes pregnant and menstruation isn’t happening.

• Pain medication:- Pain killers can be taken to get over painful menstruation if surgery is still not an option.
  Some other things you can do at home may help with pain:
  Take warm baths.
  Put a hot water bottle or heating pad on your belly.
  Exercise regularly.
• Hormonal therapy:– Your doctor may prescribe hormones to stop periods temporarily. This helps to control symptoms as it gives the body time to heal back. But not all patients are candidates for such medicines and your doctor may ask for surgery which may be a better solution in a given case.
• Surgery:- Surgery is done to take out as much affected tissue as possible. This decreases symptoms like pain and helps you in becoming pregnant.
• Open Surgery:- Involves a big cut on the abdomen but has been replaced by laparoscopic surgery in most advanced hospitals these days.
• Laparoscopic Surgery:- Same surgery is done via very small holes – typically one hole that is 1cm and three holes that are just 0.5cm. The camera is inserted inside the abdomen and surgery is performed with the help of very thin and long instruments. Even large chocolate cysts can be removed by this method and the specimen is removed after inserting a bag to prevent contamination. Chances of pregnancy are also higher after laparoscopic surgery as compared to open surgery-

 This method has many advantages of open surgery-

Much smaller cuts
Less pain
Fast and better recovery
May lead to less blood loss
Early return to work

• Less pelvic adhesions – so much better for patients who wish to conceive after surgery.
• Hysterectomy:- In the most severe cases, especially if the family is complete, one may need to get the uterus removed along with tubes and ovaries as a permanent solution to this problem.