US comedian Amy Schumer had her uterus removed because of her endometriosis disease. The disease is quite common – but severe procedures of this type only need to be done in a few cases.
US comedian and actress Amy Schumer said she had her uterus and part of her appendix removed because of the abdominal disease endometriosis. “It’s the morning after my endometriosis operation and my uterus is out,” said the 40-year-old in a short video on Instagram in which she is apparently in a hospital bed. The doctor discovered and removed the disease in 30 places, she said. Part of the appendix was also removed because it was attacked.
Endometriosis is one of the most common abdominal diseases in women and a major cause of infertility. Many people, however, do not know what to do with the term. This is what women should know about the symptoms and causes of the disease.
What is endometriosis?
In endometriosis, the lining of the uterus (endometrium) settles outside the uterus in the abdomen. The growths occur on the ovaries, fallopian tubes, intestines, bladder or peritoneum, but can in principle also grow on any other part of the body.
What are the symptoms
Endometriosis does not have to cause symptoms. In some women, it is a chronic condition that causes cramping pain in the lower abdomen. Pain during menstrual bleeding or sexual intercourse as well as back pain and – less often – pain when urinating or defecating are common. It is typical of endometriosis that the symptoms increase with the cycle and then decrease again.
The German lists the following symptoms as often described complaints:
- Abdominal and back pain before and during menstruation, which can also radiate to the legs
- heavy and irregular menstrual periods
- Pain during and after intercourse
- Pain on gynecological examinations
- Pain when passing stool or urinating
- cyclical bleeding from the bladder or bowel
- unwanted childlessness
How do the complaints come about?
The herd are mostly influenced by the hormones of the monthly cycle. As in the uterus, the mucous membrane is built up and broken down with each cycle. There is also bleeding into the surrounding tissue. The result is irritation and inflammation, which can lead to adhesions in the long term. Cysts can also form. Affecting the ovaries or fallopian tubes can lead to infertility.
How is endometriosis diagnosed?
Since there are several causes of severe abdominal discomfort, endometriosis is often discovered only by chance. According to the German Endometriosis Association, it takes an average of six years from the appearance of the first symptoms to diagnosis – three years for infertile patients and up to ten years for pain patients.
In practice, however, indications of endometriosis often arise during the anamnesis discussion between the patient and the doctor, for example when the patient reports severe pain during her period. A laparoscopy is usually required for a reliable diagnosis.
How many women are affected in Germany?
It is estimated that around 7 to 15 percent of all women of sexually mature age suffer from endometriosis. According to the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care, the information on the number of women who do not notice the disease varies from 2 to 50 percent depending on the survey. In women with severe menstrual pain, it is assumed that 40 to 60 percent of them have endometriosis. 20 to 30 percent of women who do not want to have children could have the disease.
How is it treated?
There are several ways to treat the symptoms. They range from pain reliever and hormone therapies to operations that remove endometrial foci. Which treatment is considered depends very much on the individual case and the severity of the disease, but also on a possible desire for children.
Removal of the uterus – as in the case of Amy Schumer – is usually only an option when family planning has been completed and if removal of the endometriosis focus is not possible or would not help sufficiently. Serious bleeding may occur after the operation. There is also a general risk of infection.
Schumer gave birth to their son Gene David in 2019. In August 2020, she stated that she had decided that she would never be able to be pregnant again. She became pregnant with her son through artificial insemination, also known as in vitro fertilization (IVF). The child’s father is Schumer’s husband, the cook is Chris Fischer.
