Should Patients with Adenomyosis Undergo Hysterectomy?
Disease description:
Recently, during a physical examination, I was diagnosed with adenomyosis. I'm not sure about my specific condition. The doctor mentioned that some patients with this condition require a hysterectomy, which has made me quite worried. Should I also consider having a hysterectomy?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Zhang Lu
Patients with mild symptoms and stable condition of adenomyosis generally do not require hysterectomy. If the condition is severe and conservative treatments are ineffective, surgical removal of the uterus may be necessary.
Adenomyosis is a common gynecological condition characterized by the abnormal invasion of endometrial tissue into the uterine muscle layer, causing symptoms such as menstrual pain and abnormal bleeding. Patients with mild to moderate symptoms and stable conditions typically are not advised to undergo immediate hysterectomy. These patients can manage their condition through medication, ultrasound-guided percutaneous microwave ablation, or use of a levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine device, along with regular monitoring.
For patients experiencing severe symptoms that significantly impact daily life and who show poor response to drug therapy, hysterectomy may be considered. Surgical treatments include lesion excision and total hysterectomy. Total hysterectomy is a definitive treatment that effectively alleviates symptoms caused by adenomyosis, prevents recurrence, and reduces the risk of malignant transformation. However, it should be noted that this procedure results in loss of fertility for the patient.
