Anyone know about endometriosis and adhesions? Please help!

05-22-2006, 10:13 AM

Hello,
I'm posting question for my wife here. Currently she is in constant pain she describes as a dull, hallow, aching. This has been progression for 4 months and interferes with everyday activities, it wakes her at night, and intimacy is to painful for her. The location is at the site of an inguinal hernia repair she had in 2002. However as I was reading the pathology report. Endometriosis was present in the specimen with the hernia.

I'm wondering, because of the nature of endometriosis, would there be an increased incidence of adhesion formation at the incision site?

I'm in contact with her sergeon (who fixed the hernia) who is hesitant to do an exploratory Laporascopy procedure to find the cause of the pain, due do it being an invasive procedure. He (the sergeon) wants my wife to follow-up with her GI doc to see if it is indeed gastro related. However, my wife just had a colonocsopy less than six months ago and is was clean as a wistle. Also she is not having any sypmtoms that suggest GI issues, like BM changes, blood in stool or any thing like that. She only has the constant pain, and it gets worse when she is fatigued. And is radiates from that incision spot.

I can't find anything on this on the internet and Healthboards has always been a help to me. So if anyone has any input, please let me know. If anyone has more questions I do my best to reply asap.

Thanks,
-Derek-

05-22-2006, 03:58 PM

I have this problem too and I have been through the wringer trying to find an answer. I have an appt. to see a gastro doc in July (can't get in sooner) and I just finished with my gynecologist followup after I had a hysterectomy for endometriosis in January. She found endo, adenomyosis and fibroids and evidence of scarring from old endo adhesions...anyway, I'm still suffering from daily pain and now my primary care doc wants me to see a psychiatrist! This is frustrating...all I want is the pain to go away. It comes and goes, every day, starting out dull, and getting worse as the day goes on. Sometimes I think it could be related to gastro or urinary, other times, I think I'm having a weird muscle cramp/spasm in my my abdominal wall. I wish I could be more help.

If doctors suspect adhesions, they are less likely to want to do more surgery for fear of creating worse scarring. You must be persistent with them. It's good she has you to help advocate for her. I think my doctor thinks I'm a just a hysterical woman and he discounts my wishes. I've had to fight to get referrals and treatment.

05-23-2006, 07:53 AM

THanks,

I spoke with my wifes sergeon today and he agreed to do the exploratorly Lap. to see what is going on. Now I need to get ahold of her gyno. because she wanted to be present if a Lap. was to be performed. I also requested they have the laser in the OR, so that if they find anything they can zap it away without having to cut her open again. I hope I'm not missing anything.

Thanks again,
Derek

05-23-2006, 09:04 AM

i can sympathize here. I have endometriosis also, and now that I'm on the pill, the pain is very much under control! My doctor tried it as a last ditch effort because I wanted to avoid a hysterectomy. So far, all is good. Be sure to check out all of her options before deciding on surgery because you don't want for her to have to go under the knife if she don't have to!

05-23-2006, 09:05 AM

I'm impressed...sounds like you have it covered. Please keep us posted. Good luck.

05-23-2006, 10:33 AM

good luck to all of you! i had a lap procedure for an inguinal hernia repair. they went in my belly button as well as both sides because he wanted to "look around" while I was under. I have the dull pain on the non-hernia side daily but i think it is scar tissue, as I had "holes" on all three sides. does that make sense to any of you?

05-23-2006, 12:01 PM

I wish your wife luck...I have been there too and it deffinately sounds like an Endo issue. Gastro problems like IBS do not wake you up in the middle of thenight.
Lets us know what happens

05-23-2006, 04:38 PM

Thanks ladies,
We're just waiting for a date. Her Gyno wants to be involved with the procedure as well, so everyones schedule has to jive

Hopefully it doesn't take too long to coordinate. I'l be sure to be politely persistant

Thanks again,
-Derek-

05-23-2006, 05:13 PM

is endometriosis and endometrial polyps are one and the same?

my question is, can it be removed using medications? without surgery?

05-24-2006, 12:42 PM

Endometriosis is benign growth of endometrial tissue in an abnormal location, either in the uterine wall (called adenomyosis), or in the pelvic or abdominal cavity outside of the uterus. Removal can be attempted with laparoscopy, but often the endometriosis will return. It can be controlled with medication, usually starting with birth control pills. Other medication called Lupron, puts the patient into a temporary menopausal state which can stop the endo growth. In severe cases, hysterectomy is an option, but of course causes permanent infertility and surgical menopause.

An endometrial polyp would be an abnormal growth of the endometrium inside the uterus and can be benign, malignant or in between. Removal would likely be done by D and C and followup treatment would depend on the biopsy results.

05-24-2006, 08:19 PM

First of all,,,,kudos to you for being so involved in your wifes health issues,,I can see you are a kind hearted man, that wants the best for his wife~~~

I have endo as well,,& i had alot of pain,,Mostly during sex,,I decided it was time for a lap to get to the heart of the matter...It turns out I had ALOT of adhesions..my tube was fused to my bowel, bowel was fused to my uterus.

After the lap I felt 100% better...I hope your wife has the same outcome~~~

~~Good luck!~

05-25-2006, 09:52 AM

did they cut the adhesions or what? what was your original surgery that caused the scar tissue?

05-25-2006, 10:34 AM

I just want to interject that endometriosis can cause adhesions, so there isn't necessarily a history of surgical scarring to indicate the possibility of adhesions.

05-25-2006, 11:38 AM

My surgical history is...in 1990 I had my tubes tied..1992 I had a "Diagnostic Lap" (just to confirm i had endo)
My last lap was in 98 to remove adhesions caused by the endo. My dr said I have stage 4 endo, so i just feel lucky that i have gone this long with NO surgery or hormone meds.

05-25-2006, 12:12 PM

so you can get adhesions and scar tissue by having a laproscopic procedure right? Just wondering thats all

Anyone know about endometriosis and adhesions? Please help!

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