Surgery for endometriosis is done in most cases with videolaparoscopy, which consists of making small holes in the abdomen to insert instruments that allow you to remove or burn the endometrial tissue that is damaging other organs such as ovaries, outer region of the uterus, bladder or intestines .
Surgery for endometriosis is usually only indicated for infertile women or those who do not wish to have children because, in more severe cases, there is a risk of having to remove the ovaries or uterus, making the woman infertile. Thus, surgery is always advised in cases of deep endometriosis in which treatment with hormones does not present any type of result and life-threatening.
Even in cases of mild endometriosis, although rare, surgery can also be used along with other types of treatment to increase fertility by destroying small outbreaks of endometrial tissue that are growing outside the uterus and making pregnancy difficult.
See other types of treatment for: Treatment for endometriosis.
Surgery price
The value of surgery for endometriosis varies from 5 to 15 thousand reais, depending on the type of surgery that needs to be performed and the organs that need to be removed. Surgery for endometriosis is not covered by most health plans, but in some cases can be performed by the SUS.
Recovery after surgery
Surgery for endometriosis is done under general anesthesia in a hospital and it is therefore necessary to be hospitalized for at least 24 hours in the hospital to assess if there is any bleeding and to fully recover from the effect of anesthesia.
The complete recovery after surgery for endometriosis may vary from 14 days to 1 month and during this period it is recommended:
- Stay at home at rest, not needing to be constantly in bed;
- Avoid excessive efforts such as working, cleaning the house or lifting objects heavier than a kilo of rice;
- Do not exercise during the first month after surgery;
- Avoid sexual intercourse during the first 2 weeks.
In addition, it is important to make a light and balanced diet, as well as drink about 1.5 liters of water per day to accelerate recovery.
During the recovery period it may be necessary to make some regular appointments with the gynecologist to check the progress of the surgery and to evaluate the results of the surgery.
Possible risks of surgery
The risks of surgery for endometriosis are mainly related to general anesthesia and, therefore, when the woman has no allergy to any type of medication, the risks are generally quite reduced.
In addition, as with any surgery, there is a risk of developing infection. It is therefore recommended to go to the emergency room when a fever appears above 38º C, there is very strong pain at the surgery site, there is swelling at the site of the stitches or there is an increase in redness at the surgery site.
