I am menopausal, and I have been diagnosed with endometrial polyps. How are polyps taken care of – surgery, recovery time, and will changing my diet help?
Endometrial polyps are relatively common and rarely cancerous. They are often associated with abnormal bleeding and in your situation, because you are menopausal, would require at least a biopsy of the endometrium. This can be done best by hysteroscopy since removal of the polyp would be desired. Hysteroscopy is commonly done in the office under local anesthesia or in an outpatient operating room. Sedation can be used if desired. Post-operative recovery in the case where no sedation is used is immediate. With sedation it is several hours depending on the dose used. Whether polyps can be treated by diet is not something that has been studied to the best of my knowledge and therefore cannot be recommended. If however there has been postmenopausal bleeding a biopsy of the endometrium and removal are required. – Francis Hutchins, Jr. M.D.
