IF you’ve never heard of Asherman’s syndrome, you’re not alone. But a recent TV episode of “The Return of Jezebel James” highlighted this rare – but under-reported – impediment to fertility.
The character in “Jezebel” is Sarah Tompkins, an infertile New York children’s book editor (played by Parker Posey) who is using her fertile sister as a surrogate. While the show did point out a growing – if still relatively rare – condition, it only barely touched on the topic.
What is Asherman’s? It’s known as an acquired uterine disease, wherein the front and back walls of the uterus stick to each other. These adhesions, in turn, can be thick or thin, spotty or confluent (meaning together). This all reduces critical function of the uterus.
“Asherman’s is most often suspected because of the failure to get pregnant, [or] recurrent early miscarriage,” says Anne Carlon, a leading gynecologist affiliated with Manhattan’s New York Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. “More rarely, it’s suspected by the indication of scant or no periods, or cyclic pelvic pain.”
After it’s diagnosed, Asherman’s can be treated in a variety of ways, which might include laser excision of scar tissue. To prevent a recurrence of adhesions, high doses of estrogen are often administered.
In severe cases, Asherman’s leads to infertility, an instance that might be rare – but devastating. It’s best left to an informed patient, and enlightened doctor, to inquire further.
Dr. Rock is the director of the Non-surgical Foot and Ankle Service at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. Reach him at drrock@nypost.com.