Endometriosis and Infertility: How It Affects Pregnancy Chances - Insights from Dr. Priyadatt Patel
Endometriosis is one of the most chronic conditions that can deeply affect a woman’s ability to get pregnant. It is commonly accompanied with excruciating pelvic pain. One of the more worrisome symptoms of endometriosis is the challenge in being able to get pregnant. For people who wish to start a family, it is important to understand the relationship between endometriosis and infertility. For those looking for best endometriosis treatment in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, and specialized treatment is accessible to help manage this condition to maximize chances of conceiving.
How Does Endometriosis Cause Infertility?
Endometriosis can be defined as a condition where tissue resembling the endometrium grows outside the uterus. These tissues can come up on the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and other pelvic organs. This leads to inflammation, scarring, and adhesion. All these changes can affect one’s reproductive capability which would, in turn, make it harder to get pregnant.
The amount of infertility caused due to endometriosis largely depends on the stage of the disorder. Studies reveal that the amount of endometriosis seen during operative procedures (most commonly done laparoscopically) is associated with the fertility potential.
Fertility Considerations for Endometriosis Stages and Their Effects
To gauge the intensity of endometriosis and look at potential treatment options to aid in infertility, a lot of healthcare professionals turn to a common standard staging system.
Stage 1 – Minimal Disease
- Endometrial lesions with minimal scarring.
- Fertility potential is relatively unaffected, which means that many women are able to conceive naturally.
Stage II – Mild Disease
- Patient’s ovaries will have cysts and deep lesions (endometrioses) covering less than two inches of the abdomen with zero scars
- A little more chance of infertility, although surgical removal of lesions may improve pregnancy rates.
Stage III – Moderate Disease
- More than 5 implants but less than or equal to 20 in a woman’s abdomen and surrounds ovaries with some level of scar tissues.
- During surgery, having cysts and scar tissues removed increases the chances of pregnancy.
Stage IV – Severe Disease
- Scaring tissues with extensive endometriosis as well as a cyst on ovaries, which are large along with a significant amount of scarring.
From this stage, fertility becomes severely affected, hence the reason surgery along with IVF is almost mandatory.
Fertility and Endometriosis Surgical Treatment Available Today
Women who struggle with grade 1 or 2 of endometriosis might not be able to have a child without help, but research shows early stage surgical removal of endometriosis does seem beneficial to achieving pregnancy.
For Women under 35:
There may be an increase in pregnancy prospects following surgery to eradicate visible endometriosis.- Fertility treatment options should be considered in case no conception is achieved naturally in a span of six months.
For Women over 35:
IVF may be more successful as a preliminary treatment than surgery.
For Women with Stage III or IV Endometriosis:
• For the removal of cysts and scar tissue, surgery is usually prescribed.- In the absence of conception six months after surgery, IVF may be the next appropriate course of action.
Medical Treatment for Endometriosis-Related Infertility
Before treatment is started, a thorough fertility investigation is crucial. This involves hormone evaluation, assessing the ovarian reserve, and performing a sperm count on the male partner.
Treatment for Stage I-II Endometriosis:
- The primary approach may involve the use of Clomiphene Citrate, which is taken with intrauterine insemination (IUI).
- Injectable fertility medications are sometimes used in conjunction with IUI or IVF, if Clomiphene/IUI is not successful.
Treatment for Stage III-IV Endometriosis:
- The chances of pregnancy may improve after surgery to remove endometrioses and scar tissue.
- In case conception is not achieved six to twelve months after surgery, IVF is generally suggested.
In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF) for Endometriosis. We help women dealing with moderate to severe endometriosis tackle it by adopting an IVF approach, which proves to be the most effective solution. The final IVF treatment involves stimulating the ovaries to produce multiple eggs, retrieving, fertilizing them in the lab, and transferring the embryos to the uterus.
The age and reproductive health dictates the success rates of IVF steps.
- For women in their 20s and early 30s: As treatment for endometriosis through IVF can go as high as exceeding 50 percent success rates per cycle.
For women in their 40s the women in this bracket see success rates as low as 10 percent per cycle.
Conclusion
In our 15 plus years of experience, we have learned that Endometriosis negatively impacts fertility, and adopts meticulous approaches to improve pregnancy outcomes. Successfully treating women suffering from endometriosis is now a reality, as long as the conditions, in this case, stage of endometriosis are taken into account for the treatment.
If you are looking for best endometriosis treatment in Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Gujarat, expert Gynecologists are ready to carry out detailed fertility assessments and initiate focused therapy. Most importantly, we believe timely treatment optimizes the chances of achieving a pregnancy and assists in a successful delivery.
Dr. Priyadatt Patel
Gynecologist
Balaji Horizon Women’s Hospital
