HSG for endo?

LizzyRB

I finally went for a RE appointment after 2 years of TTC without luck. Husband looks good and my initial workup looks normal but he suspects I may have endometriosis due to bleeding patterns. He wants to do an HSG to looks for signs first because a lap "is more invasive." Sounded fine to me but I got online to read about what I needed to do to prepare for an HSG and more about endometriosis. The only things I've seen say the only way to confirm endo is through a lap. Has anyone else done an HSG to look for signs of endo?

hoffmanr7

I'm sorry I have no experience with this.  I wish you luck on your testing and hope it gives you some answers.

pretzel2plus1

Hi! I'm not sure how much help I'll be, but I do have endo, and it was diagnosed with a lap. I'm also thinking that is the only way to diagnose, but I could be wrong. I'm having an HSG this week to check to see if my tubes are open, but not strictly for endo purposes. I have heard of those two procedures being done together, but I haven't heard of an HSG being used in any relation to endo. The endo adhesions are outside of the uterus and the HSG is done inside the uterus, so I'm not super clear on how that would help. Maybe your doctor is just looking for anything abnormal before going to surgical options...?

For me, the recovery from the lap was not bad at all, just some cramps and soreness for the next few days and I wasn't allowed to lift anything for two weeks. The incision scars aren't bad, either. Everyone is different, but just something to keep in mind if you do end up going that direction. 

Feel free ask if you have any questions at all about endo or anything else! Good luck!

LadyMillil

My OB gave me the impression that if an HSG showed my tubes were open (and I didn't have heavy, painful periods that I needed treatment for), it wasn't necessary to do a lap for endo because even if I did have endo it wouldn't be likely that endo was causing my IF. If you are planning on pursuing treatments you'll need an HSG regardless so I'd go ahead with that and ask your doctor about doing a lap.

seethosestars

I don't have endo so I don't have a lot of advice but I wonder if the HSG is the first step for your doctor in ruling out endo as the CAUSE of your infertility (as I'm sure lots of women have endo and don't have infertility).  Endo can cause adhesions which you could see as blockages of the tubes (even if it's from the outside in).  This is what the HSG tests for.

I'm not clear on how endo causes infertility otherwise so I can't help with that!

Good luck with the HSG!  That's the next step for me too - I hope it isn't too painful!