Treating PCOS

Deccan Herald

By Dr. Shobha Gupta     

PCOS – Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome as we all know is a disorder that affects 1 in 10 women and over 50% do not know that they have it unless and until they go for a checkup. It is the most common hormonal imbalance disorder which causes irregular menstrual cycle in women, obesity, unwanted hair growth and infertility. It mostly affects women of reproductive age from puberty to menopause i.e. 12-45 years old.     

Every second patient, I treat in Delhi has PCOS. In PCOS patients there are sufficient number of eggs which helps in conceiving but PCOS patients do not have that capacity where their eggs develop itself for pregnancy. In a research by USA, few years ago it was found out that via laparoscopy or key-hole surgery the ovaries are punctured with a small needle carrying an electric current or using laser to voluntarily breech the ovarian capsule. This surgery can lower male hormone levels and help with ovulation. But it indeed needs lot of alertness by the doctors as there are various risks are associated with it like infections from the incision, bleeding from the incision, pain after the procedure etc. 

                                                        

But the biggest risk associated with the ovarian drilling surgery is that it could destroy too much of the ovary and causes your egg supply to diminish at a young age, sending you into early menopause.     

I can recall a case of my patient Rashmi Khanna(name changed on request), a management professional married at the age of 28 has planned to conceive after 2 years of her marriage. Her world seems to have scattered when she got to know that she is suffering from infertility caused by PCOS. She went for an ovarian drilling procedure which causes

the diminished egg supply. After much hassles and lot of stress she is now going for IVF procedure with a donor egg.     

So, it is very important for women to know and get aware that they should not go for ovarian drilling in PCOS treatment especially if they have not beena mother single time. Otherwise they would have need egg donor and could not become mother with their own eggs.     

Treatment for PCOS:     

Life style management and weight optimization- There have been numerous studies that have showed that lifestyle management alone -- ie, weight loss has been very effective in the managing the disease. A healthier lifestyle will also reduce their long-term risks for diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and cardiovascular disease.     

Medicine for increased hair growth - If a woman is not trying to get pregnant there are some other medicines that may reduce hair growth. Other non-medical treatments such as electrolysis or laser hair removal are effective at getting rid of hair. A woman with PCOS can also take hormonal treatment to keep new hair from growing.     

Ovarian drilling is only advised for women whose fertility problems stem from PCOS. It is also only indicated for women with PCOS who have not had success with other fertility treatments.     

IVF treatment should be there first priority for infertility caused by PCOS.