What is the difference between endometriosis and adhesions

The right treatment can reduce the risk of long-term complications, but it is important to weigh up the benefits and risks with a knowledgeable endometriosis specialist. Surgery to remove endometriosis implants and adhesions can lead to more adhesions forming, so research is ongoing to find effective treatments.

Endometriosis is a condition that occurs when tissue similar to the tissue that lines the uterus grows in other places in the body. While physical…. Bowel endometriosis is when tissue similar to endometrial tissue develops on the bowel, causing a range of symptoms. In this article, learn about the…. Leg pain related to endometriosis may be more common than previously thought, affecting around 50 percent of people with endometriosis.

It can also…. Having a C-section can increase the risk of receiving an endometriosis diagnosis. Learn more about the connection between C-sections and endometriosis…. Rectovaginal endometriosis affects the tissue around the rectum and vagina. Learn about the symptoms, causes, and treatments here. Endometriosis adhesions: Everything you need to know. Medically reviewed by Deborah Weatherspoon, Ph.

Pictures What are they? Symptoms Locations Removal After surgery Questions for a doctor Summary Endometriosis adhesions are thick bands of scar tissue that can bind organs together. What are endometriosis adhesions? After surgery. Questions to ask the doctor. Exposure to air pollutants may amplify risk for depression in healthy individuals. Costs associated with obesity may account for 3. Related Coverage. What to expect from a laparoscopy for endometriosis.

Bowel endometriosis: What to know. Medically reviewed by Saurabh Sethi, M. This inflammation can cause the formation of scar tissue. When the tissue comes in contact with a nearby inflamed area during the scar-forming process, it may form a band of scar tissue, a so-called adhesion. Symptoms are very individual, and depend on the location and severity of the adhesions.

They frequently cause pain, which is different from endometriosis-related pain. It may feel like something is pulling on nerves, and affected women often describe it as sharp, stabbing, and sickening.

The best way to diagnose adhesions is via a biopsy. This is done using a surgical procedure known as laparoscopy. It is performed by making a small incision in the abdomen near the belly button.

A small device is then inserted through that incision to take a tissue sample. When adhesions are dense, or restrict the normal movements of internal organs like the bowels, pain can result. Uncommonly, adhesions can cause blockage of the bowels intestinal obstruction.

Adhesions, when they are involved in causing pain, are usually present along with some other disease process that can cause pain, such as irritable bowel syndrome IBS or endometriosis. They may signal their presence by aggravating the symptoms of IBS or by causing pain during sexual intercourse. Unfortunately, diagnosing the presence of pelvic adhesions is difficult. Except in extreme cases, an examining physician cannot feel them during a pelvic examination, and tests like ultrasound, MRI scans, and CT scans do not detect them very often.