You’re dealing with pain because of endometriosis, and you want to find the best road to relief. Like millions of women before you — endometriosis affects up to 10% of women in their reproductive years — you’re exploring your options, and you’re wondering about surgery.
Well, you’ve come to the right place. As our name suggests, Advanced Endometriosis Center specializes in treating this common condition, and our own Dr. Ulas Bozdogan is one of the leading experts in endometriosis surgery.
While no one exactly looks forward to surgery, sometimes it’s the best option. In this blog, Dr. Bozdogan explains why endometriosis causes pain and why surgery is sometimes the right choice.
There are several reasons why endometriosis can become painful, and figuring out what’s behind your discomfort is the first step toward choosing the best treatment avenue.
Under normal circumstances, endometrial tissue lines your uterus. With endometriosis, this tissue grows outside of your uterus. In many cases, your body registers these cells and tissues as “foreign,” and launches an immune response. This response creates inflammation inside your pelvis, which can lead to pelvic pain.
Making matters worse, the endometrial tissue outside your uterus responds to your menstrual cycles. And, since it has no place to shed out, this can lead to pain.
Another way in which endometriosis can lead to pain is when scar tissue forms because of the endometrial tissue. This scar tissue can tug on sensitive organs, nerves, or tissues inside your pelvis, which can lead to pain. This pain can be constant or flare with certain activities, such as intercourse.
Finally, the endometrial implants outside your uterus can contain their own blood vessels and nerves, which can amplify the pain of endometriosis.
While the decision to undergo surgery is yours alone to make, we want to give you a few points to consider. First, if we’ve tried conservative measures, such as hormonal controls of your menstrual cycles, and they prove ineffective, surgery may be your only other option.
As well, the level of your discomfort will influence your decision. If the discomfort is mild, you may choose to just wait out the endometriosis until you pass through menopause. If, however, the pain is moderate-to-severe, you might consider turning to surgery to find relief.
Another important consideration is whether you’re experiencing fertility issues in addition to the pain. Through our endometriosis surgery, our goal is to remove the tissues that may be interfering with your ability to conceive.
We do want to mention, however, that after we remove the problematic endometrial implants, they can regrow, and this is an important point to plug into your decision.
A point in favor of surgical intervention is the fact that Dr. Bozdogan is a foremost expert in this type of surgery and uses the most advanced and minimally invasive techniques available, including the daVinci® robotic system.
Our goal here isn’t to sway you in one direction or another, but, rather, to provide you with what you need to make an informed decision. That said, each woman is different and has unique needs and goals.
To figure out whether you can benefit from endometriosis surgery, it’s best to sit down with us. To get started, book an appointment online or over the phone with one of our offices in New York City or Hackensack, New Jersey.
