Post-Hysterectomy & Endo - Info/Articles

As requested by some I have put together some articles relating to endometriosis recurring after a hysterectomy (whether including or not ovaries removal).

In essence, one of the reasons it is believed that woman retain the ability to regenerate and have recurring endo even after a total hysterectomy and/or bi-lateral oophorectomy is not dissimilar from cancer; one can remove the disease and the reasons for the disease, but genetically the cells remain in place. Furthermore, whilst endo requires oestrogen to ‘live’ it is impossible to remove all the remnants of oestrogen within a body (i.e. men also produce oestrogen albeit at significantly lower levels and clearly they have no gynaecological organs). Fatty tissue stores and also produces oestrogen and the adrenal gland. Unless they can remove all these AND remove all remnants of the disease, it is likely (but not definitive) that endo will continue to cause issues, including pain. This is also why women who have been diagnosed with endo around their bowel retain pelvic pain – the endo continues to grow – albeit at lower levels.

umm.edu/health/medical/repo... (look right down where it says “Bilateral Oophorectomy (Removal of both ovaries) or Bilateral Salpingo-Oophorectomy (Removal of the fallopian tubes and ovaries). For endometriosis treatment, removal of the ovaries is often performed in combination with hysterectomy. This is the only potential cure for endometriosis. If endometriosis has developed outside the uterus then even ovary removal procedures are not curative.” – this is what happens to most women who experience endo pain after a total hysterectomy and removal of the ovaries which is what’s happened to me).

endosupport.com/endowp/wp-c... (again this document clearly states that endo can return even after hysterectomy and oophorectomy).

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

humupd.oxfordjournals.org/c...

my.clevelandclinic.org/heal...

endopaedia.info/treatment21...

centerforendometriosiscare....

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/257...

books.google.co.uk/books?id...

Hope this helps you all to show those 'specialists' or GPs that endo can recur after you have had your uterus removed; it would also be a good idea to remind them that oestrogen is produced in the adrenal glands (i.e. kidneys). My hormone test earlier this year showed estrodiol levels at 56 (the previous year it was 46). My most recent test taken on 29th September 2015 showed the level was at 226!!! Given I have no ovaries, it clearly is coming from somewhere!!