Endometriosis Specialist
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Women Elite Care
OBGYNs & Aesthetics located in Santa Clarita, CA
Approximately 11% of American women of reproductive age suffer from endometriosis, a condition in which lining from the uterus grows outside of this organ. OB/GYN Dr. Maryam Ardalan offers her expertise in diagnosing and treating endometriosis at Women Elite Care, Inc. located in Valencia, California. If you have symptoms that suggest endometriosis, call the office for an appointment or book one online.
Endometriosis Q & A
What is endometriosis?
Endometriosis is diagnosed when you have tissue that’s usually found in the lining of your uterus growing in other areas of your body. It may appear on organs such as the:
- Outside of the uterus
- Fallopian tubes
- Bowel
- Bladder
- Ovaries
In rare cases, the tissue may appear on your lungs, vagina, cervix, or vulva. The endometrial tissue causes problems because it bleeds and tries to shed monthly as it would when located inside your uterus, but it doesn’t have an easy way of leaving your body. The excess tissue can block your fallopian tubes, cause inflammation, form scar tissue, and cause problems in your intestines or bladder.
What are the symptoms of endometriosis?
Endometriosis commonly causes pelvic pain. Other symptoms include:
- Painful intercourse
- Intestinal pain
- Painful menstrual cramps
- Bleeding between periods
- Infertility
- Digestive problems
Endometriosis cannot be cured, but these symptoms can be managed.
How is endometriosis diagnosed?
Sometimes, Dr. Ardalan detects endometriosis during a pelvic exam and based on a description of your symptoms. The definitive diagnosis comes only with minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery in which she makes several tiny incisions into your abdomen and excises a sample of tissue. The tissue is tested at the onsite lab at Women Elite Care, Inc. and confirmed as endometriosis.
How is endometriosis treated?
The symptoms of endometriosis can be managed – including infertility. Many women who have endometriosis go on to conceive a child.
If you’re not trying to get pregnant, hormonal birth control, such as the pill or a hormonal IUD, can help stop the bleeding and eliminate or reduce pain. Hormonal birth control works best for women with mild cases of endometriosis.
For women who would like to get pregnant, gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist medication can help. This medication temporarily stops your body from ovulating, putting you into temporary menopause and slowing the growth of endometriosis. When you go off the medicine, your cycle returns, and it’s often easier to get pregnant.
If you have severe symptoms of endometriosis, Dr. Ardalan may recommend minimally invasive gynecological surgery to remove the tissue. She locates areas of endometriosis and removes the patches. This can often resolve the problem enough for you to get pregnant.
If you have endometriosis, contact Women Elite Care, Inc. for treatment. Call the office or book online today.
