Endometriosis Endometriosis is a somewhat mysterious but increasingly common condition. ( Log Out /  The characteristics of endometriosis of the posterior cul-de-sac or rectovaginal septum at transvaginal ultrasound have been described [8, 11, 12] as a heterogeneous, hypoechoic, sometimes spiculated mass arising from the serosal surface of the rectosigmoid [13, 14].Female patients with pelvic symptoms often undergo transvaginal ultrasound as the first imaging technique. Didn’t make me feel like I was a “hostile patient” or making poor choices. I have (had) bowel endometriosis. Surgical intervention to release a scarred obliterated anterior cul-de-sac is associated with a … My husband and I don’t want children at our age, but it doesn’t make the medical sterility any easier to bear. Wondering if diet can help? A laparoscopy was performed, the mass was removed, as well as her uterus, cervix, Fallopian tubes, and ovaries. Rather than resecting a portion of the bowel, the authors of the study (published in Fertility & Sterility) offer a technique knows as The Rouen Technique, which removes nodules of Endometriosis found within the rectum. A very, very long day for my friends and loved ones.

the biggest and scariest thing for me right now, is getting educated and informed about my fertility options. In your understanding of bowel endometriosis is this a possibility? I had very little shoulder pain related to the CO2 gas and I blame that on my surgical team’s skill in deflating me as much as possible and getting out as much gas as they could! Uterosacral ligament. While the lining of the uterus (endometrium) normally grows inside the uterine cavity, in endometriosis this tissue grows in other areas of the pelvis, even outside the pelvis entirely. CT scans, barium enemas, a colonoscopy, and inconclusive punch biopsies led the physicians to believe she had a growth, possibly a carcinoma, inside her rectum. I paid a $500 co-pay to the hospital and my insurance covered a whopping $121,669.50! Science Direct – (Abstract; June 2011) Is Pouch of Douglas Obliteration a Marker of Bowel Endometriosis? And ALWAYS feel free to consult with your physician. Yours ~ Lisa. ~ Again, I am a layman. AMAZED! Now, if you regularly follow my blogs, you’ll know that I was worried that I may have it on my bowel. Then a tiny hole was punched in my belly, 3 liters of CO2 gas was pumped in and I was inflated, and the doc took a peek around. But what does that mean? Now I have been struggling with frequent bouts of diverticulitis and rounds of antibiotics. cul-de-sac [kul-dah-sak´] (Fr.) I have always had horrible periods, pain and heavy bleeding.

It is a potential space prone to fluid collection.
Hey melody. Some of her right colon (as well as the mass) were removed. Lot characteristics include corner lot location (CORNER), cul-de-sac location (, Jugo explained: "The word 'courtyards' is derived from the placement of the lots; six to eight lots comprise a courtyard, similar to a, "This was the cul-de-sac the year kept driving me toward: men and women would always be at odds", Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus - The Free Dictionary, the webmaster's page for free fun content, Magical on a crisp morning; A Walk In The Park GRAHAM YOUNG VISITS DICKENS HEATH, Sales comparison adjustments for FHA and VA financing after deregulation, TV restoration project sees tourists flock to tiny village; Wellesbourne, until recently best known only for its weekend market, has become a major visitor attraction - thanks to its starring role in a popular television show Residents fear rural gem is being turned into a 'theme park', Ayala Land Premier keeps its legacy trailblazing in 'South of Manila', Culberson County Groundwater Conservation District, Culberson County-Allamoore Independent School District. During my post-op meeting, Dr. Kurtulus let me know that this time my Endometriosis lesions were all either clear or red.

Endo on the bowel can cause pain in the abdomen, bowel, rectum, or rectal bleeding (especially while menstruating). It is the most inferior aspect of the peritoneal cavity and therefore the first location where free fluid accumulates.. She underwent a bowel resection and they removed nearly 4.5 inches of her recto-sigmoid colon. I do not hold any college degrees, nor mastery of knowledge. I had a lap three years ago with a regular GYN and he claimed it was not on my bowel. New studies are finding that transvaginal (and transrectum) ultrasounds may be able to “pick up” bowel lesions as masses on the screen and that they may hold a distinct shape of their own. As usual, I LOVE to share what this type of surgery costs. Sh’d never undergone surgeries in the past, and hadn’t been diagnosed with any chronic illnesses. Transvaginal ultrasounds may also be beneficial if a physician suspects bowel Endo – women who have ovarian cysts have a 30% chance of having Endo on their bowels. I was rolled back for pre-op somewhere around 11:30 and wheeled back to the OR by noon. There was the expected post-op pain the first day, a vomit on Day One (whoever wants to do that so soon after abdominal surgery? Also note that this rectal bleeding has caused me to be anemic and have horrible anemia symptoms and pain, along with the rectal bleeding which arrives like clockwork. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. The Douglas fold (rectouterine plica), Douglas line, and Douglas septum … Following is a page of my op report, in case you enjoy reading all of the medical terminology (like I do). As always, I love to share my experiences with you – not only to create awareness of this illness, but in the hopes that the process of my surgery (and later recovery) may help you, or others. I want to thank Dr. Kurtulus and his staff for their excellent care, the incredible nurses and other surgical team members at Scripps Hospital La Jolla, Brandy for her amazing photographs and the project she is working on, my Mum for driving out (yet again) to be with me for surgery and during a hardest days of my recovery, my husband for all that he’s endured with me, Erin for taking care of me for a few days, Rosie for spending time with me during my recovery, Laura & Chris & Carrie for their wonderful company to celebrate my health, Zeiddy for constantly checking in on me, my employers and co-workers for the beautiful flowers, and all of my EndoSisters, friends, and family who also threw me well-wishes and love.
The implants may be physically located on the bowels, or even just located adjacent to them in areas like the Pouch of Douglas, uterosacral ligaments, or rectovaginal septum. They removed the affected section of bowel and biopsy confirmed the endometriosis diagnosis. Additionally, had TAH with removal of my ovaries…had deep infiltrating endometriosis and adhesions. He said they were almost grape-like. He spent some time with me going through the details, labeling the photographs, and talking about our future plans. A 2019 study published in Hindawi focused on a 41-year-old woman who had a medical history of painful periods and had a prior appendectomy. Yikes and yay! A second colonoscopy was performed and deeper tissue samples were taken; these newly-biopsied deeper samples were found to be Endometriosis. Thank you so much for this article!

I actually learned more from this post than from my own research *and* chatting with some doctors.

That’s because the Endo most-often resides outside the bowel…not the inside…so these tests cannot detect Endo. Along with the usual diverticulitis sx. Many women suffer Symptoms often and some women…always. Thanks do much for the information. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Looking forward to meeting you! The implants may be shaved from the exterior of the bowel, or a deeper-removal of the lesions may be necessary.

But each bout of diverticulitis brings on horrible pain, not only in the colon but in the area of my uterus. Small amounts of physiologic fluid accumulate during ovulation and menses. (I still am thankful they made that call) They removed as much of tissue as they could, leaving my good ol cervix behind. Thanks for this post, Lisa- it was super informative and a good reminder of a few things for me. The mass on her ovary was also removed.

I’m so pleased that he is so skilled and thorough during these procedures!! It could be. The discomfort was so great that I opted for an enema. And I’m glad it did as it had created a sort of twisted mass of my guts. I am in that 5-15% of women who have endo on my bowel. Bowel Endometriosis may affect the colon, the rectum, the large intestine, the small intestine, the colon, or the sigmoid colon. It’s the little empty space between the back of the uterus and the rectum.

Not one bit. Dr. Doron Kopelman wrote, “Endometriosis has been described as the great masquerader,” which is so beautifully and (unfortunately) accurately written. During a routine colonscopy, they found a mass extending from her rectum to her sigmoid colon. In investigating her diarrhea, she was found to have an intestinal parasite but several rounds of antibiotics have not cleared it and the diarrhea continues. There have been several studies about bowel Endometriosis, different treatments, different surgeries, various diagnostic tools…and the fact that even post-menopausal women can develop bowel Endometriosis (with or without hormone replacement therapy). I take Duloxetine once a day, and man oh man, aside from the first month where I was a bit nauseous taking it, now, my pain on a daily basis has gone from a contiual 7 or 8 down to a 2 or 3 (unless im in a flare up). They’ve been unleashed!! That description will stick with her for quite a while, especially when she saw the photographs. What did he find? She underwent a laparoscopy and had normal reproductive organs, except she had a cyst on her left ovary. My body didn’t know what hit it when I cut these things out and then reintroduced them- it was a big NO-No. One of the most common areas is behind the uterus which is called the “cul-de-sac”. A physical examination may follow and one possible indicator of bowel Endo is a tender spot inside the vagina near the rectum (this may indicate Endo on the Pouch of Douglas). Biopsies led the physicians to believe it to be Endometriosis. I’ve got the symptoms (all of them except decreased appetite, nausea, and vomiting). Thank you thank you thank you thank you! Many of us read “ablation” or “burning” and run away, but (butt?) And just because you have symptoms of bowel Endo doesn’t mean you have bowel Endo…. I don’t know if you can click on the photos and make them full-size, so they’re also available on Google Drive. Her symptoms disappeared. But, here are more photos of what my cul de sac looked like before I was all tidied up: Two lesions were discovered on my bowel. As you may know, Endometriosis is not limited to just your reproductive bits & pieces.

Just a little bit of “ugh” near the lower-right edge of my abdomen…and I may either just be healing or it’s the last bit of Endo clinging to my bowel waving at me.