Being a mother after suffering from endometriosis 2026

Many women are unaware of what endometriosis is and how it can affect their reproductive organs and, therefore, their fertility. They discover that they suffer from it, on many occasions, after wandering around the offices of various specialists.

Endometriosis is a benign disease characterized by the presence of endometrial tissue outside the uterus, when it should be inside. It can appear in the ovaries, peritoneum and even in less common places such as the bladder, intestine or stomach.

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How many women does it affect?

One in 10 women of reproductive age suffer from this pathology, according to data from the World Endometriosis Society. This means that approximately 2.5 million suffer from it in Spain.

Despite being the first gynecological pathology by frequency, the condition is still quite unknown by society and part of the medical community, which makes it underdiagnosed.

Fertility can be compromised. Between 30 and 50% of women with endometriosis have fertility problems, a figure that increases with delay in childbearing age. The disease can affect the ability to conceive as a result of damage to the ovaries or fallopian tubes.

Small endometriosis implants in the pelvis can release substances that interfere with ovulation, egg transport and fertilization, making it difficult to achieve a pregnancy naturally.

Can fertility be compromised?

Between 30 and 50% of women with endometriosis have fertility problems, a figure that increases with delay in childbearing age. The disease can affect the ability to conceive as a result of damage to the ovary or fallopian tubes. Small endometriosis implants in the pelvis can release substances that interfere with ovulation, egg transport and fertilization, making it difficult to achieve a pregnancy naturally. In addition, when endometriotic cysts grow in the ovary, they destroy part of the supply of eggs, reducing the reserve. ovarian disease, a situation that can be accentuated if it is necessary to resort to surgical removal of the cysts. For this reason, it is essential to diagnose the disease as soon as possible and, if patients wish to become mothers, or do not rule out that possibility in the future, offer them reproductive advice.

How is it diagnosed?

It is not always easy, because sometimes the disease does not present symptoms and many women associate the pain with that caused by premenstrual syndrome or menstruation. For this reason, it often goes unnoticed or is diagnosed late: the average is seven to eight years. Another added problem is the lack of specialists who know this pathology and specialized units, despite the fact that it affects 10% of the female population of childbearing age.

What is the treatment?

Detection is essential to prevent future complications, the most important being infertility. “The diagnosis can be made in the gynecological consultation with methods as basic as examination or ultrasound,” explains Dr. Javier de Santiago García, head of the MD Anderson Gynecological Oncology Service in Madrid. The treatments used to treat this pathology are divided into analgesics, hormonal treatment and surgery. “Naturally it should be focused on preserving or improving women's fertility, but the most common are hormonal treatments, which cause atrophy of the endometrium or anovulation,” he adds. With anovulation and atrophy of the endometrium, pain and dyspareunia are considerably alleviated, which is why these treatments are the most prescribed to combat endometriosis.

Is it always operated?

Not always. It will depend on each case. As explained by Dr. Pere Barri Soldevila, head of the Endometriosis Unit at Dexeus Mujer, "in our unit we attend to nearly 2,000 annual visits related to endometriosis, but in the last five years we have only operated on 700 patients, 30% of the total. This data shows that surgery is only performed when strictly necessary. The follow-up, together with maintenance medical treatments, allow us to preserve the future fertility of these patients and be very conservative in the indication of invasive treatments,” he points out.

Advances to preserve fertility

Recently, Dr. Barri has applied, for the first time in Spain, a new, less aggressive and more precise surgical technology for deep endometriosis surgery. "Surgery for this type of endometriosis is one of the greatest surgical challenges in gynecology, since organs of the digestive, urinary or even nervous systems are often affected, and when it affects the ovaries it can reduce their reproductive function. However, this technique allows us to be much more respectful of the healthy ovary, which is key in these cases, since the majority of those affected are women under 40 years of age," explains Dr. Pere Barri.

The new technology is called 'PlasmaJet', and has proven to be safer and more versatile than laser and other electrosurgical technologies, in addition to guaranteeing a lower recurrence rate. It consists of the application of a type of compressed inert gas that can be used to perform different functions (cut, dissect, vaporize and coagulate tissues), and that allows pathological tissues to be eliminated, minimizing damage to healthy ones, which reduces risks and allows better preservation of the function of the treated organs.

A mother tells us about her experience after endometriosis

Cristina García (fictitious name) is one of those affected who has managed to become a mother after undergoing surgery.

Have you heard of her?

Yes. Years before, my older sister had already been diagnosed and operated on a couple of times, so she was familiar with both the symptoms and the consequences of the disease.

What were the first symptoms like?

I had always had painful and heavy periods, but after a period of stress, with family problems and pressure at work, I began to feel more intense pain, even when I was not having my period or ovulating. That's when I knew something wasn't right.

Did they have to operate on you?

Recently diagnosed, they told me that they would have to operate since it was very widespread and the pain was very strong. I was diagnosed in June and after the summer I underwent surgery.

How was the operation?

I had it done laparoscopically and it went well. It lasted a little longer than expected, since the fabric was very adhered and spread, but, otherwise, everything was fine. There are four small incisions that, over time, are almost not noticeable. After the operation you are sore for a few days, as in any intervention, but after 15 days I was almost living a normal life and after 3 weeks I returned to work, already recovered.

Have you managed to be a mother naturally?

No. In my case I had to resort to assisted reproduction. I got pregnant the first time and the process wasn't long. I went to the doctor recommended to me by my gynecologist at the Dexeus clinic, who had already attended my operation, and the truth is that I did not notice any side effects.

How do you feel now?

I am happy and much more relaxed, because I was scared that something would go wrong during childbirth or after, due to endometriosis. During the pregnancy the disease subsides, but now we have to wait and after the quarantine do the corresponding check-up to see how I am.

My sister developed it even after removing her uterus, so I know that it is not easy to eradicate. I'll keep my fingers crossed but at least I'm a mother now and everything has gone well.

What would you say to other women?

See a specialist if you feel acute pain in the lower abdomen. And, once endometriosis is detected, they should modify their diet and do acupuncture, in addition to following the guidelines set by the doctor. It worked very well for me and I noticed a lot of relief with the medication.

In the event that they want to be mothers, do not give up and follow the times set by your doctor, although everything will depend on your age. They can always freeze eggs if they are clear that they want to be mothers, because over time the ovarian reserve decreases and by the time you consider becoming a mother it may already be too late.

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