Sadly, yes it can. Stage IV endo, I have had both RSO then TAH/LSO laparotomies, and now have another cyst (endometrioma) with possible ovarian remnant. Am scheduled for removal of the cyst, the remnant, a pelvic peritonectomy, and redoing the incision at the top of the vagina. I hope this third surgery will get all of the remaining endo. I am also lucky to be able have an expert surgeon at Mayo clinic AZ (I love this place so far!) and encourage women who have been told their endometriosis is severe to see a specialist, not just your normal GYN. Also, read everything you can including medical journal articles if you are comfortable, so that you know the latest research and treatments and can make the best decisions for your health. Endo implants can be microscopic and that is why sometimes the surgeon cannot remove it all during a hysterectomy. I also understand that if your surgeon has not dealt with more complex endo cases, they are reluctant to excise the endo near the bladder, bowels, ureters, etc. In this case, a 99% job is not enough, especially if you need estrogen after surgery (likely if you are young/less than 50?). The good news is that new robotic surgery is available from specialists, so the pain and recovery time can be reduced while improving the ability of the surgeon to see smaller regions of endo that need removal. Good luck, endometriosis is truly a frustrating disease and I hope advances continue to be made to understand and treat it!
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Sadly, yes it can. Stage IV endo, I have had both RSO then TAH/LSO laparotomies, and now have another cyst (endometrioma) with possible ovarian remnant. Am scheduled for removal of the cyst, the remnant, a pelvic peritonectomy, and redoing the incision at the top of the vagina. I hope this third surgery will get all of the remaining endo. I am also lucky to be able have an expert surgeon at Mayo clinic AZ (I love this place so far!) and encourage women who have been told their endometriosis is severe to see a specialist, not just your normal GYN. Also, read everything you can including medical journal articles if you are comfortable, so that you know the latest research and treatments and can make the best decisions for your health. Endo implants can be microscopic and that is why sometimes the surgeon cannot remove it all during a hysterectomy. I also understand that if your surgeon has not dealt with more complex endo cases, they are reluctant to excise the endo near the bladder, bowels, ureters, etc. In this case, a 99% job is not enough, especially if you need estrogen after surgery (likely if you are young/less than 50?). The good news is that new robotic surgery is available from specialists, so the pain and recovery time can be reduced while improving the ability of the surgeon to see smaller regions of endo that need removal. Good luck, endometriosis is truly a frustrating disease and I hope advances continue to be made to understand and treat it!
April 15, 2011 - 1:52pmThis Comment
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