Is pregnancy safe with diaphragmatic endometriosis?

In many cases, pregnancy can be safe with diaphragmatic endometriosis, but the answer depends on where the disease is, whether it’s only on the diaphragm’s surface or involves deeper tissue, and whether you’ve ever had chest symptoms. Superficial diaphragmatic implants may cause cyclical right shoulder, upper abdominal, or chest pain around periods. Those symptoms sometimes improve during pregnancy when cycling hormones are suppressed. The bigger concern is the uncommon scenario where endometriosis involves the full thickness of the diaphragm or extends into the chest (thoracic endometriosis), which can be associated with symptoms like shortness of breath or, rarely, a cyclic collapsed lung.

If you have a history of cycle-linked chest pain, breathing symptoms, or prior pneumothorax, we generally recommend a more deliberate pre-pregnancy evaluation so your care is planned rather than reactive. Our team can help assess whether diaphragmatic disease is likely present, review prior imaging, and discuss whether minimally invasive excision (and, when appropriate, coordinated planning with thoracic surgery) makes sense before trying to conceive.

If you’re already pregnant and develop new chest pain or breathing symptoms, we want you to let your obstetric team know promptly and reach out to us so we can help connect the dots and coordinate next steps. If you’re in the planning stage, scheduling a consultation can help you understand your personal risk profile and build a clear plan for pregnancy and postpartum.