Only a biopsy can confirm which tissue is truly endometriotic. The surgeon needs to be meticulous to clear endometriosis in one surgery.Įndometrial tissue can look like tiny blueberries or black spots, or white, yellow or reddish cysts, varying from tiny bluish or dark brown blisters to large chocolate-coloured cysts up to 20 centimeters in diameter. Removing all the endometriotic tissue requires a physician who is committed to biopsy and getting rid of all suspicious abnormalities. Another one or two small incisions along the bikini line are made for the instruments.Ī laparoscopy is only as good as the surgeon who performs the exam. This examination, performed under general anesthetic, involves inserting a light containing telescope through a small incision in the navel. Laparoscopy is the only diagnostic technique that can clearly determine if endometriosis is present. Ultrasound tests will only show endometriosis if the ovaries are involved. Pelvic examinations by a highly skilled gynecologist may disclose nodules or lesions on the ovaries. The symptoms are many and vary from woman to woman.Įndometriosis can be difficult to diagnose. Some women experience no pain but may have fertility, ovarian or menstrual problems. Menstrual cramps that increase in severity.Intermenstrual pain, usually at mid-month.Infertility of unknown origin 30 to 40 percent of women experiencing infertility have endometriosis.Bladder infection suspected, but test results are negative.While some women may not experience any symptoms, for others it can be devastatingly painful and debilitating, beginning with the onset of menstruation and increasing progressively until menopause. While a hysterectomy may help with pain, in about 15 percent of women relief is only temporary. Yet many doctors do not follow these guidelines.įull hysterectomies do not cure endometriosis. The Endometriosis Association states that it is extremely rare for a woman today to need a hysterectomy for endometriosis, no matter how severe. While commonly found on the outside of the uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes, pelvic ligaments or bowel, it may also affect the bladder, cervix, or vagina, or even travel as far as the lungs. Women are often misdiagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome, bladder infections, appendix attacks, “just” PMS, or painful cramps.

In women with endometriosis, tissue that is very similar to that of the uterine lining (endometrium) grows in other parts of the body. Endometriosis is one of the most common and misunderstood of female diseases. It can start with a girl’s first period and may continue to affect some women throughout their lives until menopause. Endometriosis affects approximately one in ten women of childbearing age worldwide.

Into the Unknown by Lorna Peel