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Endometriosis stuck to bowel

Posted: Mon May 04, 2020 10:31 pm
by riverdale
I had a laparoscopy last year september. Unfortunately, the operation could not be completed. I was told that it is now stuck to my bowel and a bowel expert is needed to be present. I am waiting for another appointment. In light of the current pandemic, I appreciate the cancellation. My worry is that what are the risk of me having a successful operation and my bowel will be intact afterwards. It is quite scary. I'm worried that it will continue to spread the longer it is not treated.

Re: Endometriosis stuck to bowel

Posted: Thu May 07, 2020 11:48 am
by Karolina Afors
Bowel endometriosis is where deposits of disease can involve the bowel wall, most commonly effecting the rectum or sigmoid colon (part of bowel on your left hand side). Endometriosis is often sticky and can cause an inflammatory reaction which can lead to some of the anatomy being distorted with the bowel being stuck to the vagina. Bowel endometriosis is generally slow growing and I suspect you have probably had it for quite some time, the risk of it suddenly growing quickly is low. Whilst awaiting surgery you may wish to consider medical hormonal treatment to treat symptoms whilst at the same time it may also help slow the disease process.

Surgical remove of endometriosis may be recommended, which is clearly relevant in this instance. It is common practice to work with other colleagues and specialists to determine the best form of treatment. I would certainly recommend that any surgical treatment is performed in a recognised endometriosis centre of which there are several within the UK where they have the expertise to deal with these more complex cases. You can find a list of accredited centres in the UK with the following link https://www.bsge.org.uk/centre/

Depending on location, size of nodule and extent of infiltration involving the bowel surgery will need to be tailored accordingly. Sometimes this consists of just removing the disease itself without compromising the bowel wall and as such the bowel remains intact - this is often referred to as "shaving." In instances where the nodule of endometriosis disease is larger, or if it is causing narrowing of the bowel wall and/or is present in several different locations then complete removal of a section of the bowel may be necessary and the healthy ends reconnected.