Endometriosis and the Bowel
This is not a substitute for direct care by YOUR doctor. Confirm with your doctor before doing any of the following.
- Endometriosis is a disease where endometrial tissue goes to areas outside of the uterus. Nobody can completely explain why this happens or why it affects different people to a different extent. There is ongoing research to figure this out.
- A diagnosis of endometriosis is made by a gynecologist. Some patients with severe endometriosis have disease causing problems in their colon and/or rectum. The first line of treatment for most patients is medication. In some patients, surgery is indicated for treatment. Rarely, this requires partial excision of the wall of the colon and/or rectum or even resection of a portion of the colon and/or rectum.
- Patients should usually get a colonoscopy before surgery on the colon and/or rectum.
ASCRS Textbook of Colon and Rectum Surgery
Steele SR, Hull TL, Hyman N, Maykel JA, Read TE and Whitlow CB (Editors)
2022 Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022