Endometriosis & Infertility

How Endometriosis Causes Infertility

In order to get pregnant, all aspects of a woman’s reproductive system must be healthy, balanced and functioning properly. In many cases, even the slightest aspect of the process that is out of balance can interfere with conception.

One very common female medical condition – endometriosis – is often responsible for infertility by hindering the eggs’ journey from the ovary to the uterine lining. If you have been trying unsuccessfully to conceive, endometriosis could be the reason.

At AHA Women’s Health in Dearborn and Lincoln Park, our caring team of OBGYNs, Nurses and PAs are experts in treating endometriosis. We have helped hundreds of women escape the debilitating pelvic pain and severe bleeding of endometriosis. In this article we discuss how early treatment of endometriosis can also help preserve or restore fertility, so that patients who desire to become pregnant (now or in the future) can do so when the time is right.

What is Endometriosis?

Every month the tissue that lines the uterus thickens for roughly 28 days, so that the uterus walls are “ready” in case fertilization occurs. When pregnancy does not occur, this lining “sheds” – which is what causes a woman’s monthly period. But in women with endometriosis, the uterine tissue also grows outside of the uterus – on the ovaries and intestines, and in other places within the pelvis.

So, when the uterus lining starts to break down and bleed during menstrual, this “misplaced” uterine tissue that is outside the womb also bleeds. But since the blood has nowhere to go it becomes trapped inside the pelvis. The result is severe pain and cramping that can wreak havoc on a woman’s life every month.

How Do I Know if I Have Endometriosis?

Diagnosing endometriosis typically starts with a pelvic exam, during which the OBGYN manually feels the pelvis for abnormalities, such as cysts, or scars. Often, however, it’s not possible to manually feel small or deep areas of endometriosis.

The next step may be a transvaginal ultrasound, an MRI, or a minimally invasive surgical procedure called Laparoscopy. These diagnostic procedures “take pictures” of the organs and tissues within the pelvis – to identify cysts associated with endometriosis and/or the location and size of endometrial tissue

How Does Endometriosis Impact Fertility?

Many women with milder cases of endometriosis can still become pregnant despite their condition. But, up to half of infertile women have endometriosis that is interfering with conception.  Whether your endometriosis is impacting your fertility depends on a variety of factors, including the stage of the disorder and the location of the misplaced endometrial tissues.

Endometriosis scored as follows: stage 1 (minimal), stage 2 (mild), stage 3 (moderate), and stage 4 (severe). Typically, the higher the stage of endometriosis, the lower the chance of conception.

The exact correlation between endometriosis and infertility is not always clear. But doctors do know that endometriosis triggers several problems within the reproductive system that can inhibit fertility. These include:

• Buildup of scar tissue
• Adhesions (thick bands of tissue that bind organs together)
• Distortion of the pelvic anatomy
• Inflammation and/or immune system issues
• Hormonal changes that negatively affect the eggs
• Impairment of the eggs ability to implant

Hope for Pregnancy with Endometriosis

If you have endometriosis and have been unable to get pregnant, it’s important to seek the help of one of our caring and experienced women’s health professionals at AHA Women’s Health in Dearborn and Lincoln Park. We will start by using one of the above imaging technologies to get a view of the adhesions, cysts and scar tissue, including their size and locations.

Often, times we can simply excise (cut out) the misplaced, implanted tissue during the laparoscopy procedure, which may be all it takes to clear the way for conception! However other common treatments for endometriosis – including birth control pills and “gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist” medications – cannot be used while a woman is trying

If a patient only has stage 1 or 2 endometriosis and are unable to conceive, the next step may be ovulation induction followed by intrauterine insemination. Sometimes just shortening the time between ovulation and conception like this can the chances of conceiving.

However, the sooner you seek medical intervention, the better the outcomes. Patients with stage 3 and stage 4 endometriosis, may require more advanced intervention – and in some cases in vitro fertilization may even be necessary to attempt conception.

Endometriosis & Fertility Doctors | Dearborn & Lincoln Park

If you are considering pregnancy – or are already trying to conceive – schedule a checkup with our caring women’s health experts at AHA in Dearborn or Lincoln Park. We will discuss your health, conduct any necessary tests, answer any questions you have about getting pregnant … and help you take the steps to treat endometriosis as well as improve fertility – to ensure the best possible pregnancy and delivery.