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Endometriosis Treatment
The management of chronic pelvic pain can be frustrating for the patient and oftentimes for her physicians if an exact cause is undetected. Endometriosis is a common cause of pelvic pain, especially period pain, menstrual cramps (dysmenorrhea), and/or pain with intercourse (dyspareunia). It is usually suspected from your history, clinically confirmed with pelvic exam (possibly with ultrasound), and then definitively diagnosed by direct viewing with laparoscopy. Painful periods, pain during intercourse, and/or infertility may indicate external growth of endometrial glands, outside of your uterus, onto your pelvic organs. You may have bowel or bladder symptoms with your periods, which could represent advanced disease. Women with a family history or red hair are at higher risk for endometriosis.Endometriosis is often suspected by your family history, but usually confirmed with an outpatient procedure called laparoscopy. With this outpatient procedure, ovarian causes of pelvic pain can be detected with appropriate treatment of ovarian cysts. Often, laser treatment can be used to eradicate your disease at the time of diagnosis during the laparoscopy. If your disease is severe, more extensive inpatient treatment may be needed to maximize the preservation of your normal tissue. Medical therapy with Lupron is rarely advised due to side effects (bone loss, memory loss, and other menopausal symptoms). Using Femara to treat endometrosis tissue, which contains aromatase, shows promise when other conventional therapy has failed.Treatment of endometriosis often helps women more easily achieve a viable pregnancy and have a healthy child. However, if you have already had children and your family is complete, and if other treatment options have been unsuccessful, removal of the diseased organs may be advised, as a last resort.
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