The only way to diagnose endometriosis is with an instrument called a laparoscope (a tubelike telescope with a light in it), used in a procedure known as laparoscopy. The procedure is a form of minor surgery. After a general anesthetic is administered, your abdomen is distended (expanded) with carbon dioxide gas to make the organs easier to see. A tiny incision is made, and a laparoscope is inserted into it. By moving the laparoscope around, your surgeon can check for any signs of endometrial tissue outside the uterus.
Although your doctor can often feel the endometrial growths during a pelvic exam, and your symptoms may be telltale signs of endometriosis, no competent physician would confirm the diagnosis without performing a laparoscopic procedure. The bottom line is that if you’ve been told you have endometriosis, but you haven’t had a laparoscopic procedure done, insist that your doctor perform one, or get a second opinion. Often the symptoms of ovarian cancer are identical to those of endometriosis. If you’ve been misdiagnosed with endometriosis due to your doctor’s failure to confirm it through a laparoscopy, he or she may miss an early diagnosis of ovarian cancer, which is crucial for successful treatment. A laparoscopic procedure also indicates the location, extent, and size of the endometrial growths and will help your doctor better guide you in treatment decisions and family planning.
Laparoscopy is the only way to absolutely diagnosis the condition. Unfortunately, doctors commonly misdiagnose women with endometriosis and treat them for conditions they really don’t have. Again, this occurs because of the confusing group of symptoms that characterize endometriosis. Symptoms sometimes mimic pelvic inflammatory disease, irritable bowel syndrome, or a host of other ailments.
If you suspect you have endometriosis, experts recommend requesting a pelvic exam during your period, when endometriosis is in full flare. This may help your doctor find certain clues that will send you in the right diagnostic direction. For example, transvaginal ultrasound is very useful in finding many of the physical clues that endometriosis leaves behind, such as cysts or masses. You may want to request a transvaginal ultrasound even when your doctor doesn’t order it. Treatment for endometriosis has varied over the years, and there is still no absolute cure. If you don’t have any symptoms and you’re not planning to have any (more) children, then no treatment is necessary-you should just get regular checkups. If you have only mild symptoms and infertility is not a factor, simple painkillers, like acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin), may be all that’s needed.
