Endometriosis is a disease that affects 20% of the female population and is characterized by the reflux of menstrual blood into the abdominal cavity. Severe endometriosis is the most aggressive manifestation of this disease, characterized by the extension of the disease to all pelvic organs including the rectum, pelvic peritoneum, ureters and bladder. The main symptom of severe endometriosis is pain, a disabling pain that affects women throughout virtually the entire menstrual cycle and during sexual intercourse.
What effects does it have on the patient?
The main consequence of this pathology is pain. It is a disabling pain, a dull ache that can affect all facets of the patient’s life, from work, family and even sexual relations. It is a pain that is also misunderstood by the general practitioners who treat these patients, and in a not inconsiderable number of cases, these patients are even treated with antidepressants.
Severe endometriosis and pregnancy, is it possible?
Of course it is. To date there is no contraindication in this respect, so that a patient with severe endometriosis can become pregnant. However, it is no less true that those affected by this disease have greater difficulties in conceiving. In fact, about 50% may require assisted reproduction techniques or artificial insemination techniques.
What does the treatment of severe endometriosis consist of?
The treatment of severe endometriosis is surgical. Although there are multiple treatments of hormonal or anti-inflammatory type, the truth is that these treatments have very little effectiveness in controlling the symptoms of this disease. As I said the treatment is basically surgical, it is a treatment that is performed by laparoscopy, it requires above all multidisciplinary and specialized teams and the objective of the surgery is the maximum cleaning of the entire disease.
In spite of the complexity of this type of intervention, the truth is that recovery is usually fast and without sequelae and the control of the symptomatology, which is pain, is usually maintained in the long term.