Endometriosis is a medical condition of endometrial. The blood and tissues that normally shed monthly during periods, start growing outside the uterus. This outside growth often spreads to ovaries, Fallopian tubes, and even to the intestine. Let’s tell you the detailed symptoms of endometriosis, how prominent the endometriosis is, and what are assisted reproductive technologies to treat the condition. In most cases, it doesn’t directly cause infertility.
Chances of Infertility in Endometriosis Patients
The condition leads to infertility in 50% of cases however, women with endometriosis often get pregnant after surgery. Endometriosis is the 6th most important cause of infertility among women. It makes female unable to conceive the child. In many cases of endometriosis infertility, it also causes a short-term pregnancy which results in miscarriage and suffering. However, the patients having the disease have lower chances of getting pregnant naturally.
To your surprise, endometriosis can be found in 50% of infertile women whereas; patients with the condition typically have 30-50% cases of infertility. But, it is mostly treatable through ART and the patient can enjoy a healthy child-bearing process. Although endometriosis is a leading cause of infertility, many women are able to get pregnant after a surgery that removes the extra tissue growth along with uterus or through assisted reproductive technology (ART). Also, there are many factors that influence women’s ability to get pregnant or get a full-term pregnancy.
Myths about Endometriosis
- Women with endometriosis suffer from pain only during periods
- It is normal to have severe pain during periods
- Pregnancy cures endometriosis
- Women with endometriosis cannot have children
- All cases of endometriosis lead to infertility
- Endometriosis is untreatable
How Endometriosis Leads to Infertility Issues?
There are several reasons that connect endometriosis to infertility. Here are some clear and dominant symptoms of endometriosis. It also changes the transparent texture of peritoneum. The scarring and adhesions caused by this process block the fallopian tube and ovaries. The unfriendly molecules (cytokines) produced by the inflammation of endometriosis paralyzes the sperm and egg which prevent the fertilization.
The second reason for infertility among women with endometriosis is that it physically distorts the pelvic anatomy of a woman. Blocked fallopian tube cause eggs to be trapped in ovaries and don’t fertilize with sperm. This all leads to complication in pregnancies.
General Symptoms of Endometriosis
- Long or heavy periods
- Migraine, lower back pain, and painful bowel movement
- Allergies that gets worse around periods
- Bleeding between periods
- Fatigue, nausea, diarrhea
Silent Symptoms of Endometriosis
Many times, endometriosis doesn’t come with clear symptoms. The symptoms of endometriosis are present, but not severe, this situation is called “Silent Endometriosis”.
The IVF treatment of such women often fails and IVF Clinics don’t tell that they may have endometriosis. Many physicians console the patient falsely assuring that pregnancy will cure the endometriosis or it will not have much impact on conception. Till the time, such patients reach above normal age of conception and often told that they don’t have enough egg reserves or egg quality is poor. IVF Centers take advantage of such patients.
Diagnosis of Endometriosis
- A pelvic examination by a Gynecologist
- Trans-vaginal Ultrasound with normal abdominal USG
- MRI to decide the location and size of the endometriosis
- Laparoscopy
Assisted Reproductive Technology for Endometriosis Patients
Endometriosis prevents a woman from getting pregnant. So, treating endometriosis itself, infertility symptoms can be improved. Even patients with stage 3 or 4 endometriosis can see improvements with deep-excision surgery. Know here some treatments of endometriosis.
- Hormonal Therapies
Hormonal therapies help treat the symptoms of endometriosis infertility where the general cause of the problem is due to hormonal imbalance. Injections of Estrogen or implants of Progestin Hormone Medicine (Etonogestrel) or Progesterone Hormone can effectively treat the endometriosis.
- Excision Surgery
Doctors remove the growth and scar tissue or destroy them with heat through Robotic Assisted Laparoscopic excision. The main focus of this treatment is curing endometriosis without harming the healthy tissue of the uterus around the normal tissue.
- In-vitro Fertilization (IVF)
This is the most common form of ART treatment for endometriosis. In this technique, a woman’s eggs are collected and fertilized by sperm in a laboratory. Then, it is implanted into her uterus.
Nirog India has reliable IVF treatment centers in India that assist endometriosis patients get the right diagnosis for the condition and conceive through ART. To check our
- Intrauterine Insemination (IUI)
In IUI, a healthy sperm cell is directly injected into the uterus of the female. This ensures the proper implantation of the fertilized egg with proper timing according to the menstrual cycle of the woman.
- Third-party Assisted ART
Surrogacy is the best Third-party ART. This can be used in congruence with other ARTs. Eggs and sperm are donated to a surrogate mother for a gestational period. This is successful in giving the couple a healthy child where a woman is incapable of having a pregnancy or seeing multiple miscarriages.
With the assistance of reproductive technology, some endometriosis patients have been able to overcome infertility due to endometriosis.
Is Hysterectomy -a Solution to Endometriosis?
Many physicians and fertility specialists assume that a hysterectomy will treat the woman’s endometriosis. This is decided on the basis of stillbirths, miscarriages, and other fertility issues. However, it is not a permanent solution. Endometriosis patients can get pregnant through endometriosis excision surgery. This removes the extra outer growth of the tissues and makes the organs normal.
After a hysterectomy, a patient loses all chances of getting pregnant. So, hysterectomy should be the last resort and the patient’s consent is a must. There is a growing need for ethical practice in infertility treatment centers and also by fertility specialists.
