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Complications
By Mayo Clinic staffThe main complication of endometriosis is impaired fertility. Approximately one-third to one-half of women who have endometriosis have difficulty getting pregnant.
For pregnancy to occur, an egg must be released from an ovary, travel through the fallopian tube, become fertilized by a sperm cell and attach itself to the uterine wall to begin development. Endometriosis can produce adhesions that can trap the egg near the ovary. It may inhibit the mobility of the fallopian tube and impair its ability to pick up the egg. In most cases, however, endometriosis probably interferes with conception in more complex ways.
Despite these possible complications, many women with endometriosis are still able to conceive. It may take them a little longer to get pregnant, but most women with mild to moderate endometriosis can become pregnant. During pregnancy, most women have no signs or symptoms of endometriosis.
Doctors sometimes advise women with endometriosis not to delay having children because endometriosis tends to worsen with time. The longer you have endometriosis, the greater your chance of becoming infertile.
Although cancerous changes may occur in endometrial implants, the rate of cancer in this tissue hasn't been shown to be higher than that in other tissues. Having endometriosis doesn't increase your risk of uterine cancer or ovarian cancer.
