Does a Hysterectomy Cure Endometriosis? An Endo Surgeon Answers Your Top Googled Questions

Endometriosis affects at least 1 in 10 women, yet the average patient waits years for a diagnosis — often after being told their pain is normal. In this episode, Dr. Sasha Hakman sits down with board-certified OB/GYN and endometriosis surgeon Dr. Mallory Stuparich to break down what endometriosis actually is, why it's now understood as a systemic immune and neuro-inflammatory condition rather than a purely hormonal one, and how patients can push back when they're being dismissed. If you've ever been told your pain is "just part of being a woman," this episode is for you.

In this episode, we cover:

What endometriosis actually is — and why "endometrial-like tissue" outside the uterus is now understood as part of a systemic neuro-inflammatory and neuro-immune disorder, not just a hormonal one

Why endometriosis so often overlaps with mast cell activation, POTS, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, autoimmune conditions, and migraines

The leading theories on what causes endometriosis, and why retrograde menstruation alone doesn't explain it

Normal period pain vs. abnormal period pain — and the questions to ask yourself to know the difference

Red flag symptoms beyond pelvic pain: GI issues (painful bowel movements, incomplete emptying, bleeding), bladder urgency, pelvic floor dysfunction, painful sex, and brain fog

Why the amount of pain a patient feels doesn't always correlate with how much disease is actually present

What a real diagnostic workup looks like, and why a "normal" ultrasound or MRI does not rule out endometriosis

Post-surgical hormone therapy — why suppression after excision matters, and who isn't a candidate

Adenomyosis explained: what it is, how it differs from fibroids, and treatment options including adenomyomectomy, uterine artery embolization, and microwave ablation

The links between endometriosis, infertility, and miscarriage — including why 50% of women with endo do not experience infertility