Endometriosis is a common yet mysterious cause of infertility. Although the reasons are not clear – current thinking is that endometriosis decreases pregnancy rates by affecting the “quality” of the eggs being produced. Endometriosis may also prevent the normal function of the tubes from allowing the embryo to reach the uterine cavity for implantation.
The surgical management of endometriosis can be difficult and complex. At The Center for Innovative GYN Care, we often treat patients who go on to conceive immediately after surgery.
The complete surgical removal of endometriosis is handled best by those who have advanced surgical expertise and have complete knowledge as to how the disease spreads, the anatomy of the pelvis and the ability to remove endometriotic “implants” from difficult locations.
Often times, the surgeons at CIGC see patients who have had endometriosis surgery by their OBGYN in which implants are left behind in the bladder, bowel and the ureters.
Choosing someone without expertise in removing endometriosis can lead to severe complications. The OBGYN does not have the surgical skill to remove these implants without the potential to injure these structures. An example of this is a “nick” in the bowel during removal of endometriosis from the bowel. The result of this can be a life threatening infection whereby stool leaks into the abdomen leading to a severe infection. Similar issues can occur with nicks to the bladder and ureter. The surgical experts at CIGC are well trained to remove and treat endometriosis safely and effectively from the bowel, bladder, and ureters.
Complete removal of this disease by a surgical expert is important to help with pregnancy success and pain management. Many patients will have endometriomas – cystic collections of endometriosis in the ovaries – that need to be removed to increase pregnancy rates before considering pregnancy. Removal of endometriomas will dramatically increase the success rates of spontaneous attempts at pregnancy, and is essential for those patients that are considering intrauterine insemination (IUI) or in vitro fertilization (IVF). The successful removal of endometriomas requires that the entire endometrioma be removed with preservation of as much of the ovarian tissue as possible.
Any patient with endometriosis considering pregnancy should always consult a surgical expert in the management of endometriosis before undergoing surgery. These experts will have specialty training through a fellowship in minimally invasive GYN surgery, with their practices limited only to surgery, not obstetrics. Since many patients are under a time constraint for pregnancy, consider the surgical expert as your first option to ensure an effective procedure allowing for pregnancy in the shortest time frame possible.
Read Blog: PART 1- Infertility and Fibroids: Expert Surgical Management Increases Pregnancy Rates
Book a consultation with Paul MacKoul MD or Natalya Danilyants MD of The Center for Innovative GYN Care here.
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