Shamita Shetty Undergoes Surgery For Endometriosis; Wants Women To Be Aware About This Condition | TheHealthSite.com

Written By Prerna Mittra | Published : May 15, 2024 4:48 PM IST

Shamita Shetty recently underwent a surgery for endometriosis, a serious condition that often goes undetected and leads to severe health problems in women, besides agonising pain. The actor and former Bigg Boss contestant uploaded a video from the hospital bed, where she was seen in a gown and surgery cap. Shamita was accompanied by sister Shilpa Shetty, who seemed to record the video. The sisters kept it light and funny, joking about the situation. "What a view," Shilpa quipped while Shamita made a face and adjusted her cap. "All the women out there, please Google 'endometriosis'. You need to know what this problem is all about. You probably have it and you do not even know you have it... it is painful and uncomfortable," Shamita explained.

Shamita, who is a fitness enthusiast like her sister, told her followers that it is important to listen to their bodies, because the existence of any kind of pain usually signals health problems that must not be ignored. "Did you know that almost 40 per cent of women suffer from endometriosis, and most of us are unaware of this disease?" the actor wrote in the caption accompanying the video. "I want to thank both my doctors, my [gynecologist] Dr Neeta Warty and my [general physician] Dr Sunita Banerjee for not stopping till they found the root cause of my pain! Now that I've had this disease surgically removed, I'm looking forward to good health and more physically pain-free days!"

While replying to a comment from a follower, the 45-year-old wrote that it was a laparoscopic surgery, and it does not affect future pregnancies.

To understand more about endometriosis, we reached out to Dr Krishnaveni Nayini, a laparoscopic surgeon with fellowship in reproductive medicine (UK), and a senior consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at Yashoda Hospitals, Hyderabad, who said that endometriosis is a condition where the tissues similar to the lining of the womb grows in other places, such as the ovaries and fallopian tubes. While the exact cause of endometriosis is not clear, some possible aspects include:

Pelvic pain associated with the menstrual cycle is usually the main symptom of endometriosis, the doctor said. While many women experience cramping during periods, those who have endometriosis describe menstrual pain that is 'worse than usual'. The pain also may become worse over time. Common symptoms of endometriosis include:

According to Dr Krishnaveni, surgery is needed when you have 'severe pelvic pain' and when medication does not get your symptoms under control. "You may also need surgery if you have trouble getting pregnant, or when the growth in your pelvic area needs to be removed. Laparoscopic surgery can be done for endometriosis. Doctors find the endometriosis tissue inside the body and take out all or some of the affected tissue," the doctor explained.

Dr Krishnaveni explained that small cuts are made in the abdomen and a camera called a 'laparoscope' is inserted to look at the pelvis. "This is used to see the areas of endometriosis. Surgical instruments are inserted through other cuts, and in combination with the laparoscope, endometriosis in your abdomen or cysts on your ovaries can be treated. A laparoscopy includes a vaginal examination and can involve inserting an instrument into the uterus. This allows the uterus to be positioned during the laparoscopy to get the best view of the pelvis. In some situations, a rectal examination may also be needed to help get a better view of the pelvis," the doctor stated.