Uterine fibroids

If this topic has already been brought up somewhere, I am so incredibly sorry, I really didn't mean to... I just couldn't seem to find it using the search bar... anyway, I guess I was wondering, are adhesions actually part of endometriosis? And, like, how scary is it in reality?

So, to give you the short version of what happened... we're trying to get pregnant (it hasn't been long), which, of course, nobody understands—and I don't mean to sound blunt or anything, but... I was browsing through some forums and stumbled upon the idea that besides a Pap smear, there are also cervical swabs... so I went to my gynecologist, and she did my Pap, an ultrasound, and the swabs, and it turns out I tested positive for chlamydia and mycoplasma, and that I have adhesions too... I suppose my doctor maybe didn't want to upset me, or honestly, I have no clue why, but basically, she just explained the treatment for those two little monsters, though she didn't say a single word about the adhesions... she was just sort of like, "you have adhesions, it probably happened because of some inflammation, and your right ovary is slightly displaced"...

And then I started surfing the web and digging through more forums... I found plenty of info regarding the bacteria, but adhesions always seem to pop up in connection with endometriosis, and everything I've read lately has made me feel pretty anxious... I don't have any cysts, no fibroids, just this mention of adhesions, and I barely have a clue what that actually means... does anyone here have experience with this, or maybe a link, or anything at all?

I suppose in my specific case, the adhesions aren't a huge deal since she didn't say much about them... or maybe my doctor is just waiting for me to clear up the bacterial stuff before she surprises me with something else...

The deeper I dig into this, the more disappointed and discouraged I feel😢... I'm seeing this gynecologist that everyone seems to rave about, and I can't say she isn't a good doctor, but it turns out she just doesn't provide any real information... I mean, goodness, I didn't go to medical school, so how am I supposed to know all of this? I expect my doctor to at least mention these things so I can go look up the details myself... honestly, if it weren't for these online forums, I'd probably be totally lost, likely getting taken out by various little monsters in my vagina without even knowing they were there...

(I know, I'm exaggerating, please be patient with me, I'm "a little" worked up)

Honestly, calling it endometriosis is a stretch; we're talking about polyps here.🤣

Adhesions.🤣

Angela Morales said:honestly, it’s probably just polyps rather than endometriosis🤣

adhesions🤣

uh... I feel like I might sound a little silly here, but man, I guess I'm just totally lost when it comes to this stuff because I don't know anything about it at all🙂

like, what actually is it, and how serious is it supposed to be, or maybe it isn't even that big of a deal?

To be clear, polyps and skin tags aren't actually the same thing.
Have you experienced any genital inflammation or infections so far?

Yeah, true. Skin tags or adhesions aren't the same thing as polyps. It would be nice if an expert could actually walk us through the difference.😉

It is quite straightforward: skin tags are essentially scars, typically forming after inflammation. They consist of connective tissue—non-functional tissue that is generally harmless unless their specific location interferes with an organ's function.
Polyps, however, are growths of functional tissue, acting as extensions of the organ from which they originate. Because they can be composed of various tissue types, there is a risk of abnormal activity, ranging from paracrine and autocrine secretion to malignant transformation.

Sam Hall15 said:It’s actually pretty straightforward if you think about it—adhesions are basically just scar tissue that forms after inflammation, and they're mostly made of connective tissue, which isn't really functional tissue. They aren't dangerous on their own, I suppose, unless they happen to be positioned in a way that interferes with how an organ works where it's located.
Polyps, though, are more like growths of actual functional tissue, almost like extensions of the organ they're sprouting from. Since they can be made of various types of tissue, there’s a risk involved with how they behave, ranging from weird paracrine or autocrine secretions all the way down to becoming malignant.

The doctor told me almost word-for-word during my ultrasound, "you have adhesions and your right ovary is being pulled down"... I don't really have any other specifics, but I guess I've spent too much time lately falling down internet rabbit holes reading everything under the sun... when I go back for my follow-up, I honestly don't think I'll leave the clinic until I get every single question answered, because I'm just feeling so incredibly anxious right now🙂 ...from what I've gathered, polyps are benign tumors, or at least that's what I read, though I try not to believe every single thing I see online, so maybe Dr. Sam Hall15 can set me straight... I find it hard to believe a specialist at the Mayo Clinic wouldn't have mentioned it during the exam... but then again, looking at how little information I actually have, who knows...

thanks, Sam Hall15👍

Sam Hall15 said:well, polyps and skin tags aren't really the exact same thing, are they?
have you guys dealt with any kind of genital inflammation lately?

I mean, I deal with bladder infections pretty often, though honestly, anything could have been going on there because I just found out about cervical swabs two weeks ago... I actually had to ask my OB-GYN to run them, and turns out I've got chlamydia and ureaplasma... my Pap smears have always come back totally perfect, and my doctor never even mentioned that this stuff was a thing... so, who knows how long I've been carrying this around, or if I've been dealing with other kinds of infections too... I guess it's hard to say... I never really had any symptoms or issues, besides that whole bladder situation...

Sam Hall15 said:It's pretty straightforward. Adhesions are basically just scar tissue that forms after inflammation. They're made of connective tissue—non-functional stuff. They aren't dangerous on their own, unless they happen to be positioned in a way that messes with an organ's function somewhere else.
Polyps, however, are growths of functional tissue. They’re essentially extensions of the organ they originate from and can consist of various types of tissue. There's a risk involved because of how they behave—everything from paracrine or autocrine secretion to malignant changes.

thanks doc👍

So, if I'm following correctly, polyps are more dangerous than adhesions.

And both should show up on an FBI scan?

If my FBI scans always come back clear with no mention of adhesions or polyps, does that mean I don't have them?

Yes, polyps are benign tumors, and growths are generally non-functional tissue that pose no threat
Regarding frequent bladder infections, they don't directly cause genital growths, though they can serve as an indicator that there might be an increased risk of infection within the reproductive system as well.

Angela Morales said:thanks doc👍

So, if I’m following you correctly, polyps are more concerning than adhesions.

And both should show up on an ultrasound?

If my ultrasound results come back clear every single time with no mention of adhesions or polyps, does that mean they aren't there?

Yes, if they were present, they would be visible on the ultrasound, especially since you get them done regularly... don't worry

Well, okay.

A colleague of mine dealt with bleeding during her pregnancy because of polyps, so I'm feeling a little anxious about them myself. Is it actually possible for them to grow while you're pregnant? She mentioned they didn't see anything on the initial FBI scan.

It is entirely possible, particularly if the cells forming the polyp have an abundance of hormone receptors. This is precisely why I emphasized the importance of regular checkups; you never truly know when growth might occur...

Polyps can grow during pregnancy... but fibroids are actually the bigger concern...

All of this should be sorted out before anyone even thinks about getting pregnant...

I know, my mom had a benign tumor and ended up having to have a hysterectomy...

Hey everyone,
Since we’re all talking about adhesions, I’ve got a few things on my mind too:
I finally went to see a reproductive specialist, and after running through my medical history and basic stats, he’s pretty sure I’m dealing with Ashman syndrome. On the ultrasound, he noticed my uterus looks "stuck" in one spot and my endometrial lining is super thin—only 4 mm on day 15 of my cycle. Right now, I'm just waiting for my period to show up so I can get my hormone levels checked.
I already have one kid, but after giving birth, I had to go in for two different D&Cs because they couldn't get the placenta out completely, and then everything spiraled and I ended up with a blood clot.🙄
So, since everything I find online regarding this syndrome is incredibly vague and unhelpful, can anyone break this down for me in plain English? Like, what’s the actual game plan from here? Is a hysteroscopy absolutely mandatory at this stage, does hormone therapy actually do anything, what are my realistic odds of getting pregnant, and what kind of complications am I looking at if I do manage to conceive?
Thanks in advance,🙂

Anyone out there?!?