Pelvic adhesive disease is a condition in which scar tissue binds adjacent organs to each other.
All of the organs in your abdominal cavity are covered with a smooth, slippery tissue. The surface of this tissue is lubricated, allowing adjacent organs to glide easily against each other. However, when the surface becomes damaged or inflamed, scar tissue forms. Scar tissue that develops between two organs will cause the surfaces of the organs to stick, or adhere to each other. The bands of scar tissue are called adhesions.
Adhesions are often a cause of infertility. If they form inside or around the ends of the fallopian tubes, they may prevent the egg and the sperm from meeting. If the tubes are partially blocked by adhesions, sperm may meet the egg, but the fertilized embryo may be trapped, resulting in an ectopic pregnancy. Adhesions that develop on the ovaries may disrupt ovulation, and those that develop inside the uterus may prevent a fertilized egg from implanting properly.
Your medical history and a pelvic exam may suggest the diagnosis of pelvic adhesive disease. However, only a laparoscopy or hysteroscopy can confirm this diagnosis. A laparoscopy is an outpatient surgical procedure in which your doctor will use a narrow fiberoptic telescope inserted through an incision near your navel to look for and sometimes remove adhesions in your pelvic cavity. A hysteroscopy is an outpatient procedure in which your doctor will use a narrow fiberoptic telescope inserted into your uterus through your cervix, to look for and sometimes remove adhesions inside your uterus.
Advanced Reproductive Medicine & Gynecology of Hawaii
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