How endometriosis is treated

  The symptoms of endometriosis are mainly lower abdominal pain, dysmenorrhea, infertility, discomfort during intercourse, and abnormal menstruation. Treatment aims to shrink and remove lesions, reduce and control pain, treat and promote fertility, and prevent and reduce recurrence.  Patients with mild or asymptomatic mild lesions can be treated expectantly, such as regular review and symptomatic management of mild dysmenorrhea caused by the lesion with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as indomethacin, diclofenac, and ibuprofen. However, expectant therapy is generally not necessary for patients who wish to have children, and pregnancy should be induced as early as possible. After pregnancy, the ectopic endometrial lesions will shrink and the symptoms will be relieved or even cured after delivery.  However, NSAIDs can only relieve the symptoms and cannot stop the progress of the disease. Hormonal drugs such as oral contraceptives, progestins, mifepristone, progesterone, danazol, etc. can be used to control the symptoms and delay the progress of the disease, as well as to reduce the complications of surgery and prevent recurrence after surgery.  For patients with endometriosis cysts whose symptoms are not relieved by medication, whose local lesions are aggravated, whose fertility function is not restored or who are larger, surgical treatment is required. Laparoscopic surgery is currently preferred, and commonly used surgical procedures include surgery to preserve fertility, surgery to preserve ovarian function, and radical surgery. Three to six months prior to surgery, medications are usually required to reduce the extent of surgery by first shrinking the lesion. For patients who undergo conservative surgery, incomplete surgery, or postoperative pain relief, medication is required for 6 months postoperatively to delay recurrence.