Having endometriosis can mean you experience chronic pain that impacts multiple aspects of your life. Finding a treatment that relieves your pain and other symptoms helps you reclaim your quality of life.
If you have endometriosis, a hysterectomy is one of several possible treatment options that offer pain relief. Find out from OB/GYNs Anita Gondy, MD, Saovaros V. Michaels, MD, and Ankita Raman, MD, from Women's Health Associates of Southern Nevada, Northwest in Las Vegas, Nevada, if a hysterectomy or another treatment is the best solution to your endometriosis pain.
Endometriosis occurs when your endometrium, the substance that lines your uterus, also grows on the outside of your uterus. You can get endometrium growth on the outside of your uterus, in your fallopian tubes, and on your ovaries.
The endometrium that lines the inside of your uterus is shed during your monthly menstrual period, but the additional endometrium growth becomes stuck. That can cause various unpleasant symptoms, including:
If you have symptoms of endometriosis, our team can make a diagnosis through an in-office procedure called laparoscopy.
If you have painful endometriosis, a robotic hysterectomy is one possible solution for your chronic pain. However, getting a hysterectomy is a surgical procedure, and getting a hysterectomy means you will no longer be able to have children.
For this reason, our team often recommends attempting other treatment options for endometriosis before giving you a hysterectomy, especially if you would still like to have children. Other treatments for endometriosis include:
In some cases, it’s possible to control chronic endometriosis pain with over-the-counter medication like ibuprofen and naproxen. Our team can also prescribe some types of stronger pain medication, which we offer taken orally or as an injection.
Some types of hormonal birth control help relieve the painful symptoms of endometriosis. These include the birth control pill, IUDs, and the implant.
Endometrial ablation is an in-office procedure our team does while you relax under local anesthesia. Endometrial ablation removes the areas of the endometrium that are growing outside of your inner uterine lining.
This procedure involved inserting a lighted camera into your uterine cavity and allowing heated fluids to destroy the patches of endometrium. You can go home the same day as this procedure and expect a quick recovery. This treatment also helps restore your fertility.
If other methods for treating endometriosis haven’t worked and you’re not planning to have any more children, our team might recommend a robotic hysterectomy. Using the da Vinci® Surgical System, our team removes your uterus using laparoscopy, promising an easier surgery and shorter recovery period than a traditional hysterectomy.
With our team, treatment for endometriosis is always a customized effort, meaning our recommendations are based on your personal symptoms and circumstances. Our treatment protocol for your personal needs brings you the best chance of pain relief from endometriosis.
For more information about treating your endometriosis, contact us today to schedule a consultation.
