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Julia Paredes, who officiates in the program Mamans & Célèbres on TFX, is affected by endometriosis. She announces to her subscribers that she must now be operated on. What are the indications for endometriosis surgery? The answers of Dr Eric Sauvanet, former head of the gynecology department at Saint Joseph Hospital in Paris and member of the EndoSud Ile-de-France sector.
Suffering from endometriosis for more than ten years, Julia Paredes of Moms & Famous on TFX announces that she will have to be operated. “In addition to the bleeding, I had too much pain in my head and stomach. I was dizzy, I had trouble getting up… I felt tingling all over my body (…) The disease passed at a higher stage (…) It is absolutely necessary that I have an operation” explains the young woman. An operation carried out with the assistance of a robot: “He will make three holes in the belly, cut the walls, remove the blood and clean all the areas damaged by endometriosis”.
What is endometriosis?
Endometriosis is a gynecological pathology. The endometrium, normally present only in the uterine cavity, grows in other parts of the abdominal and pelvic cavity. These tissues follow the same hormonal rhythm as those of the uterus. The lesions therefore bleed and cause pain outside the uterus, throughout the abdominopelvic cavity.
In which cases should surgery be performed?
“Today, surgery for endometriosis is less common. This is due to a better knowledge of the disease and to a better orientation of women towards competent doctors on the question” explains first of all Dr Eric Sauvanet, former head of the gynecology department at the Saint Joseph hospital in Paris and member of the EndoSud Ile-de-France sector.
“Surgery will only be considered when a treatment consisting of hormonal treatment, but also relaxation, hypnosis, osteopathy, an anti-inflammatory diet… is well conducted but the patient remains in pain” adds the doctor.
“In other cases, such as when endometriosis affects the ureters, for example, surgery is unavoidable, at the risk, if nothing is done, that the disease damages the kidneys“says the specialist again.
Pay attention to the risk-benefit balance!
Even when surgery is offered to the patient, the doctor must remain attentive to the risk-benefit balance. “We must ask ourselves if the consequences of the surgical procedure will not be greater than the pain caused by endometriosis.“says our expert.
For 7 to 8% of women, there are sequelae of urinary retention and in cases of digestive endometriosis, the resection of the rectum may be such that the patient will have to have a bowel movement.several times a day“says Eric Sauvanet again.
Dr Sauvanet also reminds us that alternatives exist, such as ultrasound or alcohol (or sclerotherapy which consists of injecting alcohol into endometriotic cysts) and that they must be offered as a priority to patients, when it’s possible.