Can Endometriosis Be Missed On A Laporoscopy?

[Tasha112x]

Hiya ladies I had a laporoscopy on Wednesday to check for endometriosis. My symptoms I have is ive always had heavy painful periods since day 1 when I started them, I get pains in my lower back & belly and when Ive done loads that day when Ive had the pains I get pains going down my right leg, I get old blood before my periods, I get constipated & sometimes have diaria (not often tho) I get really bad ovulation pains, and I get very bloated especially before my periods & while I'm on my periods, my periods are that heavy that my iron levels are always low usually 5, I get pain during & after sex and last February 2014 I started bleeding after sex which I still have so ive had that for a year & a half. I had to have a colposcopy last October and had 2 biopsies taken and it came back that I had cervical erosion which I had treated in December and thought the bleeding after sex would stop but it didn't, my doctor sent me for a scan which they couldn't find anything so I rang the nurse who did my colposcopy and she said to go back to my doctors and get them to check my cervix to see if I still have an erosion which I shouldn't have coz she treated all of it but just incase the treatment didn't work on all of it, she said if I do get my doctor to refer me back to her but if not get my doctor to refer me to this man who's an endometriosis specialist at gynaecology as all the tests ive had none of them check for endometriosis. My doctor checked my cervix and there was no erosion there so she referred me to gynaecology. I didn't see the endometriosis specialist I saw someone in his team. She said the bleeding after sex could be to do with my implant but the bleeding started when I wasn't on any contraception I got the implant fitted in June 2014, 4 months after the bleeding had started. Anyway I had my laporoscopy on Wednesday and he said he couldn't find any endometriosis but the lining of my womb is really thin and that I had an adhesion my right ovary was stuck to my bowel which he separated, he said the pains in my back and belly are most probably my ibs (I was diagnosed about 14 with ibs but since I have had my 2 kids I very rarely suffer) I do get diaria and constipation but not everyday and I have the pain in my back and belly everyday. I no the difference between ibs pain and the pain I have everyday. And he put the bleeding after sex down to the injection I had that in August 2013 which lasted 12 weeks and I was meant to have it again in November 2013 but I didn't coz I bled for nearly the full 12 weeks, the bleeding after sex started 3-4 months after that (it started end of February) then I had the implant 4 months later, he said well the bleeding after sex will be to do with the injection coz the hormones can stay in your body for up to a year, but yet i didn't bleed after sex while I was on the injection it was 4 months after i had stopped having the injection, but all the doctors and nurses ive spoke to within a year & a half have not told me that. I said I'm 23 and your telling me it's normal to bleed after sex for a year & a half and to have pain during and after sex, sometimes when me & my partner have sex he has to stop coz it hurts and I said to him basically your telling me that's normal at the age of 23. I just feel like I'm been fobbed off, a few people who ive spoke to said I sound exactly like them, the woman who was in the bed next to me in hospital said it took her 9 years & 4 laporoscopys to be diagnosed with endometriosis, she said she has severe endometriosis but from my symptoms she said I sound exactly like her! She said they only found it on the 4th laporoscopy coz it was just before her period and apparently that's the best time to find it? Someone else said it sounds like ive got it but it could of been missed coz endometriosis can be minuscule? Can endometriosis be missed on a laporoscopy and do any of my symptoms sound like endometriosis or something else? Someone told me that adhesions which is what I had is also caused be endometriosis is this true? Please help ive got so many mixed emotions right now and feel like I been fobbed off by that surgeon xx

[confusedandworried]

Hi, your symptoms do match endo and unfortunately yes endo can be missed at laparoscopy if the surgeon doesn't know what he looking for (endo comes in various forms) and/or if your surgeon was a geneal gynaecologist as they tend to only focus on the reproductive organs. Endo can effect other areas such as the pouch of Douglas (which can be very difficult to spot if the surgeon doesn't know what they are doing I this area) so a surgeon needs to be thorough in their investigations.

If you live in the UK and were seen by a general gynaecologist and not an endo specialist it may be worth asking for a 2nd opinion by way of a referral from your GP to a BSGE accredited endo centre. You can a list of accredited endo centres at the following website: bsge.org.uk.

Be mindful that whilst your hospital may (or may not) appear on this list, endo centres are specialist departments set up in the hospital so ensure you are referred to the named specialist on the BSGE list rather than just the gynaecological department at the hospital.

I hope this helps.

Best wishes, Jo

[Tasha112x]

Hiya thanks for your reply, I just spoke to the nurse who did my colposcopy for my cervix she said when I need go back to doctors I need to be refered to the endometriosis specialist and him only coz he's an endometriosis specialist coz the man who did my op he's just a general gynaecologist and she said it does sound like he was fobbing me off so she said I need to see the endometriosis specialist and him only or pay private and see him the week after she said he will do my consultation then he will most probs do another laporoscopy and she also said to get refered back to her and she will check my cervix under the microscope to see if there is defo no more erosion there what could be causing the bleeding and she will also do some more cervical biopsies and get them sent off. Least I'm getting somewhere now and I will see an endometriosis specialist! She said general gynaecologists don't always see endometriosis that's why I need to see an endometriosis specialist coz endometriosis can be minuscule so it's not always picked up when a general gynae does it xx

[Chinaxo]

Hi Tasha! your story sounds exactly like mine! I had a laparoscopy and hysteroscopy in 2013 and no endo was found, having my next one in August and hoping it will show then as I still have the same problems. I have diarrhoea pretty much 5 days out of 7 too and have been made to see a specialist who is putting everything down to IBS which just feels like a complete cop out to me. I have been made to wait 2 years for a laparoscopy as my gynaecologist wouldn't take me seriously and said my only option to stop my problems is either have a coil or have a baby!!! Helpful. I am now with another gynaecologist who isn't very supportive either I have practically had to beg her to do a laparoscopy which she said herself is 'pointless' and she doesn't expect any endo to show and I probably just have chronic pelvic pain with no explanation. Ahh the joy we go through!!! Keep trying and go to your gp whenever you are experiencing problems, maybe ask to be referred to someone else for a second opinion!

[Tasha112x in reply to Chinaxo]

Hiya thanks for your reply, I just spoke to the nurse who did my colposcopy for my cervix she said when I need go back to doctors I need to be refered to the endometriosis specialist and him only coz he's an endometriosis specialist coz the man who did my op he's just a general gynaecologist and she said it does sound like he was fobbing me off so she said I need to see the endometriosis specialist and him only or pay private and see him the week after she said he will do my consultation then he will most probs do another laporoscopy and she also said to get refered back to her and she will check my cervix under the microscope to see if there is defo no more erosion there what could be causing the bleeding and she will also do some more cervical biopsies and get them sent off. Least I'm getting somewhere now and I will see an endometriosis specialist! She said general gynaecologists don't always see endometriosis that's why I need to see an endometriosis specialist coz endometriosis can be minuscule so it's not always picked up when a general gynae does it xx

[Vicki_Ann in reply to Chinaxo]

I was also told by the endo specialist before my lap that he will eat his hat if I have endo .... luckily my Mum also has endo and put the pressure on to get me a lap. And the specialist had to eat his hat! My lesions were pinprick tiny lesions in a very localised area so I have no doubt they would have been missed by anyone but a specialist. Keep pushing for a diagnosis. It's so frustrating and just horrific that women with such debilitating symptoms should have to find the energy to keep almost fighting against health professionals but at the moment it's the only way. And worth it in the end to get the right treatment.

[Tasha112x]

I also have bleeding after sex and pain during and after sex which ive had for a year and a half so I no there's something going on. Seems like they like to diagnose a lot of women with ibs then they end up finding out its endo not ibs! But the symptoms are quite the same, but ive got more endo symptoms like bleeding after sex and heavy painful periods, painful ovulation etc xx

[Bethyxox]

this scares me cos i have a general gyno doing mine in 2 months :/