Why a Hysterectomy May Not Be the Answer for Your Endometriosis

For the 11% of women in the United States ages 15-44 who have endometriosis, life can be full of challenges. Between the pelvic pain and heavy bleeding alone, endometriosis can be a very serious quality-of-life issue, as we’re sure you understand if you’re reading this.

If you have endometriosis and you want to put an end to the problem once and for all, you might think that a hysterectomy is the best solution. The answer to this is complicated, and a hysterectomy doesn't always effectively resolve endometriosis symptoms.

As our name suggests — Advanced Endometriosis Center — Dr. Ulas Bozdogan and our team have extensive experience helping women navigate the complex world of endometriosis. Here’s what we want you to know about the limited role a hysterectomy can play in resolving endometriosis.

Why women turn to a hysterectomy

Each year in the US, about 600,000 hysterectomies are performed, largely to resolve gynecologic and other health issues, such as:

Heavy and abnormal bleeding
Pelvic pain
Uterine fibroids
Gynecologic cancers, such as uterine, cervical, and ovarian cancers
Adenomyosis

While endometriosis does make this list, it’s usually only for severe cases, and we’ll get into what constitutes severe further on.

The challenge in resolving endometriosis through hysterectomy

Now let's turn our attention to why a hysterectomy isn't always a good answer for endometriosis. To start, endometriosis should be viewed as a chronic inflammatory disease that can affect multiple organs, not just your uterus.

In fact, endometriosis is a condition in which tissue similar to the lining of your uterus grows outside the organ. These misplaced endometrial tissues can eventually lead to adhesions that affect a wide range of organs and systems, from your ovaries to your digestive tract.

Given that a hysterectomy is a procedure in which we remove your uterus, you can see why that’s not always right for endometriosis — many of the issues that lead to symptoms are outside your uterus.

As well, if only your uterus is removed and your ovaries are left in place, endometriosis symptoms can recur. A 2014 study found that about 62% of women who had hysterectomy with ovarian conservation experienced recurrent endometriosis.

Hysterectomy for severe endometriosis

There are times when a hysterectomy can be a good road to relief, and this often applies to severe endometriosis. One common way in which endometriosis becomes severe is when there’s co-occurring adenomyosis.

With this condition, the endometrial lining inside your uterus grows into the muscular walls, which can lead to pain and abnormal bleeding. In these cases of co-occurring adenomyosis and endometriosis, a hysterectomy can make very good sense.

The bottom line is that no two women share the same endometriosis journey, so what’s right for one may be the opposite for another.

To determine which treatments would work best for your endometriosis and whether a hysterectomy could be an option, contact us at one of our conveniently located offices in New York City or Paramus, New Jersey, to schedule a consultation.