Conditions

Endometriosis is a female disease in which the tissues of menstruation causing inflammation are found elsewhere in the body outside the uterus. It is associated with monthly menstrual cycles and is characterized by pelvic pain, heavy periods, prolonged bleeding, severe cramps, and pain with sex (dyspareunia). Endometriosis is a painful reproductive disorder that affects 176 million women worldwide. The economic impact of endo is staggering: businesses lose billions of dollars each year in lost productivity and work time because of the disease. A leading cause of infertility and chronic pelvic pain, it has also been linked to other health concerns,…
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Overview Uterine anomalies play an understated role in the common perception of endometriosis. While they often have been associated with infertility cases, they also can have an effect in the development of endometriosis. In fact, in our own clinical setting, we have found that 38% of our patients who had a mild form of uterine structure abnormality, specifically arcuate uterus upon hysteroscopic evaluation, tested positive for endometriosis. This is significant to note as less than 5% of the females on average have been found to have arcuate uterus upon hysteroscopic evaluation. This means that patients with endometriosis, have a statistically…
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OVERVIEW What is Adenomyosis? Adenomyosis is endometriosis strictly in the uterus. It causes the endometrial tissue of the uterus endometrial cavity to grow into the uterus muscle damaging the uterine wall. It is similar to endometriosis, except with endometriosis the tissue grows outside of the uterus. Endometriosis and adenomyosis are both metaplasia conditions, meaning that the diseased cells will change into the organs in which they invade. In the case of adenomyosis, this causes abnormal uterus cell growth. Due to the similarities, but subtle differences between adenomyosis and endometriosis, adenomyosis is often referred to as the “sister” disease of endometriosis.…
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OVERVIEW What are Fibroids? Fibroids are benign tumors (non-cancerous) that grow from muscle layers of the uterus. They can grow on the outside, inside or within the smooth muscle of the uterine wall. A single fibroid is called a uterine fibroma. However, the term fibroid is more common as most cases involve six to seven fibromas on average. The fibroid mass is primarily composed of smooth muscle and fibrous tissue, including extracellular matrix (i.e., collagen, fibronectin, proteoglycan). Fibroids often cause an enlargement of the uterus itself, due to the fibromas stretching the walls of the uterus to be as large…
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OVERVIEW What is Pelvic Pain? Pelvic pain is pain that originates from the layer of tissue covering organs and their connecting structures in the pelvis, mainly the peritoneum: the membrane lining the cavity of the abdomen and covering the abdominal organs. Pelvic pain can also include pain that comes with dysmenorrhea (painful cramps during menstruation), menorrhagia (excessive menstrual bleeding) and dyspareunia (pain with sex), which are all common symptoms of endometriosis. Classification While there is no specific classification system for pelvic pain, there are certainly different levels of pelvic pain and cramping that women can experience.  While most women experience…
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Overview What is Frozen Pelvis? Frozen Pelvis is the most extensive form of advanced endometriosis, encompassing the most ultimate forms of deeply infiltrative endometriosis (DIE). This aggressive disease form is inclusive of all extreme endometriosis presentations plus unusual deep infiltrative attachments to outer limits of pelvic ligaments, nerves, and muscle tissues. It can be partial or total frozen pelvis. Frozen pelvis is synonymous with "End Stage Endometriosis" or "Terminal Endometriosis" in the pelvis. Why use the term Frozen Pelvis? When Frozen pelvis occurs, deep fibrotic nodules and deeply infiltrative endometriosis replace pelvic soft tissues with high-density fibrosis. Pelvic organs soon…
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OVERVIEW What is Infertility? Infertility is defined as the inability to conceive a child. Patients struggling with infertility will be unable to get pregnant, even after having carefully timed unprotected sex multiple times. Though there are safe and effective methods that can significantly improve one’s chances of getting pregnant, there are, sadly, many cases of women still struggling to conceive. What is Recurrent Pregnancy Loss (RPL)? Recurrent Pregnancy Loss (RPL) is defined by the American Society of Reproductive Medicine as the loss of two or more pregnancies. RPL at an abnormal age can be thought of as a way of…
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Overview It is important to know that in every menstrual cycle the ovaries go through cystic changes. As menstruation progresses in the ovaries, a signal to the brain causes a series of eggs to be selected for ovulation, only one of which will hatch. Prior to hatching, a follicle develops, and the size of this follicle is about 2-3 centimeters. This follicle is called a physiological ovarian cyst, and it is a natural phenomenon in the menstrual cycle for every woman. Beyond this, any pouch or sac filled with fluid or other tissue that formed on the ovary is also…
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Infertility - Endometriosis is closely linked to infertility. Nearly half of all patients with Endometriosis may experience infertility. Alterations in prostaglandin secretion (a hormone-like enzyme which can cause inflammation), the inability of the ovaries to function normally as a result of the disease, the inability of the sperm to move properly towards the egg caused by adhesions or scar tissue, the body's own impaired immune response (which can result in rejection of the early implanted embryo), and anatomic distortions have all been linked to endometriosis-related infertility. It is important that you follow-up with an infertility specialist or with your OBGYN after…
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