I recently had an 8cm cyst removed from one of my ovaries, and the gynecologist was also going to look for endometriosis and use ablation if she found any. She said she didn’t find any endometriosis, but I had a small adhesion. I have never had any prior surgeries. I experience every symptom of endo, I struggle with horrible sharp pelvic pain that goes in my groin area, hips, thighs, and back. My periods are heavy and very painful, I also get extremely bad sharp pain before and during bowel movements. I have always believed that I had endometriosis due to my symptoms, is there any chance they have missed it during my laparoscopy or that it was harder to find? My lap was done by a gynecologist and not an endo excision specialist.
Endometriosis
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I’m really sorry you’re going through this. What you’re describing sounds difficult, and it’s ok to feel frustrated and confused after your surgery. Unfortunately even though your gynaecologist says that he didn’t find visible endometriosis during the laparoscopy, there’s high risk of missing endometriosis lesions, especially since the surgery was performed by someone who doesn’t specialise in endometriosis excision. I’m always wondering what does doctors mean by saying that there were some adhesions. This is always a red flag and this can mean that there is endometriosis left behind. From my experience it is really rare that only endometriosis cyst is present and no other endometriosis lesions can be found. I can remember only 2 such cases in my career until now. Lesions don’t always look typical—they can be clear, red, or hidden beneath the surface—and sometimes they’re located deep in areas like the bowel, bladder, or nerves, which aren’t always thoroughly examined unless the surgeon is specifically trained in excision and may seem only as a slight adhesion.
And your symptoms—pain radiating to your hips, thighs, and groin, severe period pain, heavy bleeding, and especially sharp pain with bowel movements—are all strongly suggestive of endometriosis, particularly the deep type that’s often missed. Definitely adenomiosis should be excluded because of pain and heavy menstrual bleeding.
You’re not imagining this and you’re not alone with such findings. So many people are told everything looks “normal,” when there is deep endometriosis. from one point we could say that you’re lucky that there was a cyst and endometriosis was diagnosed, which sometimes take more than 7 years, especially if there are no endometriosis cysts present which are well recognized by all ogynaecologists while deep lesions are mostly missed. It might be worth seeking a second opinion from a specialist who focuses on endometriosis and is trained to recognize even the subtle or hidden signs of the disease. While you’re doing that, please look into physiotherapy, acupuncture or dietary changes as additional strategies for pain relief. You are asking the right questions, it’s time to find the right answers.