Pelvic adhesions are thick connective tissue growths that can develop around organs near the pelvis, typically due to trauma or surgery. They can cause pain, infertility, and other symptoms. Treatment may involve surgery, but doctors recommend noninvasive methods if possible.
A pelvic adhesion is a growth of thick connective tissue that can develop around any organ near the pelvis or the bony area between the hips. These growths are typically due to some type of trauma to the bladder, uterus, fallopian tubes, or ovaries. Severe pelvic adhesions can cause problems with pregnancy, including infertility or ectopic pregnancies, a serious condition in which a fertilized egg develops outside the uterus.
The most common cause of pelvic adhesions is pelvic surgery, such as a C-section or uterine fibroid removal. The body may develop thick connective tissue over the surgical sites in the pelvis after a procedure as a way to protect and heal the area from further trauma. Other possible causes of adhesions include pelvic bacterial infections, STDs, pelvic inflammatory disease, or gynecological cancers.
A woman may have no obvious symptoms for minor pelvic adhesions. If the condition is more serious, it can cause pain in the pelvis, which can get worse during sexual intercourse. A adhesion can also cause loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting. Itching or redness near the vagina and labia can occur if the adhesions are the result of a bacterial infection. Women with this condition may also experience emotional symptoms, such as anxiety or depression, due to pain, infertility, or constant difficulty having sex.
More minor cases of pelvic adhesions can heal on their own and require no treatment. Surgery is typically done if the adhesions are widespread or causing pain or other severe symptoms. During the procedure, a surgeon can remove excess connective tissue surrounding any organ within the pelvis. Surgical removal is typically done only if the growths are causing symptoms because repeated or unnecessary surgeries could cause even more growths. Even if the adhesions go away on their own or are surgically removed, they can still grow back and may require regular supervision and repeated treatment.
While the condition can’t be completely prevented, doctors can take some precautions to limit the growth. Due to the high risk of thick connective tissue forming on surgical incision areas within the pelvic area, doctors generally recommend surgery as a last resort treatment option. If surgery is absolutely necessary to treat a condition, doctors may also look for noninvasive methods that don’t require cutting, such as using lasers or freezing to remove cysts or abnormal cells.
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