Mohammed Ibrahim
Suffering from Infertility? Pelvic Adhesions could be the Culprit
Infertility is a challenging condition for most and often brings complicated emotions. It’s less talked about and has immense impact on couples. Modern medicine, along with experienced clinicians at GarbhaGudi, have numerous solutions to help couples enjoy parenthood. Women seeking treatment at GarbhaGudi can carry a lot of hope before carrying a baby.
Infertility isn’t a fault. It is not a curse either. It’s prevalent in both the male and the female. There are various causes for infertility in women. They could be hereditary or environmental factors or lifestyle related or unknown causes too. One such cause could be a PELVIC ADHESIONS. What is an adhesion?
An adhesion is a scar tissue formed around the surfaces of internal organs. When a scar tissue is formed inside the pelvic region, it is called as Pelvic Adhesions. They can be formed around the ovaries, in the uterus, fallopian tubes, bladder or in the intestines. Adhesions cause no harm by themselves but may result in infertility in many women. What can cause adhesions?
There is no clear proved cause for adhesions. However, there are risk factors that exist, associated with its occurrence.
History of previous abdominal or urino-genital surgeries may be the most common cause. Surgeries underwent for removal of ovarian cysts, uterine fibroids, repair of obstructed fallopian tubes and endometriosis are also seen as a common factor. Adhesions occur within 7 days when an injury occurs in the normal healing process following the surgery. They don’t occur after 7 days but the consistency of the adhesions changes from thin to film like or dense and vascular. The variation in consistency of the adhesions is considered for assessing the intensity of the problem and type of procedure required to eliminate the adhesions. The denser the adhesions, the more pain occurs because of the restriction in normal movements of bowels and other organs of pelvic region. No need to get worried … Here are some important facts • Adhesions can occur anywhere in the body and not only pelvis. • Adhesions does not mean infertility. It just means that in SOME cases, it may be the cause of infertility in women. • Adhesions are common and remain silent with no symptoms for a long time and in many women • Not everyone develops adhesions… there are factors like the nature of trauma, duration of the trauma and technique followed by the surgeon for any previous surgeries that may result in formation of an adhesion. • Not all women with adhesions require a surgery. Only women who have no children and are infertile due to adhesions may require treatment for adhesions. How does adhesion cause infertility?
There occurs a cellophane like slippery wrap that surrounds the organs in the pelvis and it is called peritoneum. This helps in natural sliding movement between the organs. When there is any injury during surgery or an inflammatory reaction during diseases like endometriosis, this gets irritated and forms a scar tissue resulting in an adhesion. In the pelvic region, this might interfere with fertility by: • Preventing the egg and sperm from meeting, due to an adhesion block in the fallopian tube • Preventing ovulation • Preventing the uterus from carrying a fetus.
Symptoms that indicate an adhesion:
It’s not easy to identify an adhesion using a CT scan or an MRI. There exists a comprehensive set of diagnostic tests carried out by skilled gynecologists to diagnose an adhesion and the treatment that may be required.
Reported symptoms by the women include:
• Pelvic pain • IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) • Intestinal obstruction • Pain during intercourse Diagnostic tests that identify an adhesion: • An x-ray that’s taken after injecting a dye (Hysterosalpingogram) • Hysteroscopy- A thin lighted tube called hysteroscope is inserted into the vagina to examine the uterus and other pelvic organs • Laparoscopy- A lighted tube with camera that is surgically introduced through the abdominal area and is then used to examine and sometimes repair the targeted organ.
How to treat adhesions?
The fertility treatments for pelvic adhesions at GarbhaGudi give a minimally invasive surgical technique that makes a difference between fertility and infertility.
• For women who already have children, surgery may not be required, if they remain asymptomatic and no problems reported. • For women who have difficulty in conceiving, they may be operated with laparoscopic procedures to remove an adhesion in the pelvic region. • For women with adhesions on ovaries and who have children but with reported symptoms like pain and abnormal menstrual cycles and bleeding, they are generally advised hysterectomy or complete removal of the uterus. • Mild symptoms are managed in a conservative way by treating with medicines, using pain medications. Women with adhesions in pelvic region might experience infertility for a short period until they meet the skilled clinicians who can diagnose this condition.
GarbhaGudi wants to walk with every women, in her journey towards motherhood. It offers right treatment, at the right time, with an accurate diagnosis that helps couples experience parenthood.
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Mohammed Ibrahim
