Is Endometriosis Prone to Recurrence?

Endometriosis is a common cause of female infertility, accounting for a large proportion of infertility cases. This is because endometriosis can change the environment of the pelvic cavity, causing adhesions in the pelvic cavity and changes in the shape of the ovaries and fallopian tubes. Blocked fallopian tubes can lose their ability to pick up eggs, prevent them from being transported to the fallopian tubes, prevent sperm from passing through, and lead to infertility.

Endometriosis is not a single disease, including ovarian endometriosis, pelvic, peritoneal, and adenomyosis, because endometrial tissue can be implanted in various parts of the body, including the lungs, which may cause endometrial implantation.

When patients have heavy menstrual periods, progressive dysmenorrhea, and pain during sexual intercourse, and the serum CA125 level is elevated, mild endometriosis can cause a slight increase in CA125, while severe cases can cause a more significant increase. At this time, endometriosis should be considered.

Patients can undergo imaging examinations, such as color Doppler ultrasound, to determine the location, size, and shape of endometriosis. This can completely distinguish endometriotic cysts (chocolate cysts) from ovarian endometriosis. Further CT and MR can also help with the examination. Laparoscopy is not only a diagnostic tool, but also a means of treatment.

Some patients may need to undergo laparoscopy, which is the gold standard for diagnosing endometriosis. Laparoscopy can observe whether there are endometrial lesions in the ovaries, uterus, fallopian tubes, uterosacral ligaments, pelvic peritoneum, and other areas, and can also perform treatment at the same time.

Many patients are concerned about whether endometriosis will recur after surgery.

Endometriosis can be treated, but it is difficult to cure completely and is a highly recurrent disease, with a recurrence rate of almost 50% after five years. Because every menstrual cycle may bring endometrial tissue through ruptured endometrial blood vessels to other parts of the body, forming ectopic endometrial lesions, so every menstrual cycle may cause endometriosis to recur.

The recurrence of endometriosis is not only related to the surgical plan, but also to the age of the patient. For women approaching menopause, the probability of recurrence decreases due to the decrease in estrogen secretion function, while the recurrence rate of young women is relatively high.

Treatment after recurrence is more difficult, such as for ovarian endometriotic cysts, also known as chocolate cysts, surgery and postoperative drug treatment can still be performed after recurrence, but there is a possibility of premature ovarian failure due to damage to the ovaries during surgery.

If patients are concerned about the recurrence of endometriosis after surgery, they can choose herbal medicine Fuyan Pill for treatment. It can effectively alleviate patients' symptoms and reduce the probability of recurrence.

The probability of recurrence of endometriosis is relatively high. But if the first surgery is thoroughly and cleanly excised, the probability of recurrence will be significantly reduced. At the same time, taking the herbal medicine Fuyan Pill after surgery can greatly reduce the probability of recurrence.

Recommended Readings:

Hysterectomy for Endometriosis: Pros and Cons

Endometriosis: Its True Impact and Why it is so Hard to Treat

Endometriosis: Long-term Management of Integrated Traditional Chinese Medicine and Chemical Medicine