Endometriosis & Fertility: What You Should Know
Endometriosis & Fertility: Know Your Options
If you’re trying to get pregnant and living with endometriosis, you’re not alone. For many women, the journey to a diagnosis begins when they seek help for fertility issues. And while endometriosis can impact fertility in several ways, the good news is—you still have options.
How Endometriosis Impacts Fertility
Endometriosis is a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus, most commonly in the pelvis. These lesions can lead to inflammation, scarring, and distortion of pelvic anatomy—all of which can affect your ability to conceive.
Here are some of the ways endometriosis can interfere with fertility:
Scarring and distortion of anatomy: Endometriosis can damage or block the fallopian tubes and distort the pelvic anatomy, making it more difficult for an egg and sperm to meet.
Inflammation and toxicity in the pelvis: Chronic inflammation caused by endometriosis can lead to a toxic pelvic environment. This can affect the ovaries by accelerating egg loss or reducing egg quality, which may impact embryo development.
Impaired implantation: Even if a healthy embryo forms, the inflammatory environment in the uterus may interfere with the embryo’s ability to implant—or to stay implanted. This is why many women with endometriosis experience early pregnancy losses or chemical pregnancies.
When to Consider Evaluation
If you’re under 35 and have been trying to conceive for 12 months (or 6 months if you’re over 35), it may be time to consider a fertility evaluation—especially if you also have symptoms such as painful periods, chronic pelvic pain, or a known history of endometriosis.
Your Treatment Options
The right treatment plan depends on your goals, age, reproductive history, and severity of symptoms. Common paths include:
Medical Management (e.g., birth control or hormone suppression): This can reduce pain, but it does not improve fertility.
Surgical Excision: Removing endometriosis surgically reduces inflammation, restores normal anatomy, and can improve natural conception rates—especially when performed by a specialist.
Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART): Treatments like intrauterine insemination (IUI) or in vitro fertilization (IVF) may be recommended depending on your unique fertility profile.
When Excision Can Help
Excision surgery can be especially helpful for patients with unexplained infertility or cases where hormone management hasn’t been successful. By carefully removing endometriosis, we aim to reduce inflammation, improve the quality of eggs, and restore an environment that supports embryo implantation.
Dr. Chandra Spring-Robinson performs robotic-assisted excision surgery to precisely remove lesions while preserving the reproductive organs whenever possible.
Takeaway
A diagnosis of endometriosis does not mean the end of your fertility journey. With the right evaluation and a personalized plan, many women go on to conceive and carry healthy pregnancies.
If you have questions about fertility and endometriosis, or want to know if excision surgery is right for you, schedule a consultation today.
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