| Treatment Options
When treatment is required, there are a variety of options. Medication is often a first option, in an effort to control bleeding and/or shrink the fibroid. If drug therapies prove unsuccessful, surgery is an alternative.
You and your gynecologist can determine if surgical treatment, such as a hysterectomy, is indicated for your condition. If not, UAE may be a simple alternative to myomectomy or medical therapy.
Click on the bulleted items above to explore your treatment options.
For women who experience only occasional pelvic pain or mild discomfort due to uterine fibroids, over-the-counter anti-inflammatory or pain-killing drugs are often very effective. Some commonly used drug therapies include:
Since fibroids are estrogen-dependent, hormone agents like birth control pills and GnRH help lower blood levels of estrogen. The GnRH agonist blocks the production of estrogen by the ovaries, which deprives fibroids of their growth. The GnRH analogs can shrink fibroids after three months of treatment by approximately 50 percent. Unfortunately, they have side effects including hot flashes, osteoporosis and increased serum cholesterol levels. These drugs are sometimes used to shrink fibroids prior to surgery so that the surgical procedure is less arduous.
If drug therapies prove unsuccessful, or if your symptoms are more severe, surgery is an alternative. The right surgery treatment for you depends on the size and location of the fibroids, the severity of your symptoms, and your overall health and reproductive age. Until recently, women with uterine fibroids were good candidates for hysterectomy. For many women, preserving their uterus for future child bearing years is very important to them. Therefore, a hysterectomy may not be the right solution. There are other surgical solutions that keep the uterus intact for women wishing to have more children. The following is a list of surgical treatment options: Hysterectomy - The most commonly performed surgery removes the entire uterus from the pelvis either through the abdomen or through the vagina. It requires general anesthesia, a hospital stay of about a week and can have a six-week recovery time. Myomectomy - Myomectomy removes the fibroid but preserves the uterine tissue. This procedure is performed in the operating room under general anesthesia. Bleeding and infection are possible risks with having a myomectomy. This procedure may also cause pelvic scarring, which can weaken the uterine wall causing future pregnancies to be delivered by cesarean section. Thereís also a 10 to 30 percent chance that the fibroids could grow back after several years. Hysteroscopic Myomectomy - Used only for fibroids inside the uterus, below the lining and projecting into the uterine cavity. A flexible fiber-optic scope is inserted into the uterus through the vagina. The fibroids are removed via a surgical instrument attached to the scope. This is typically an outpatient procedure performed under general anesthesia. Laparoscopic Myomectomy - This procedure is used only if the fibroid is on the outside of the uterus. Through a small incision, a camera attached to a probe is inserted into the abdominal cavity. Another probe with surgical instruments attached is inserted to remove the fibroids. Once this is done the incision is stitched. This is done under general anesthesia. Abdominal Myomectomy - An incision is made in the abdomen to access the uterus. Another incision is made in the uterus to remove the fibroid. After the fibroids are removed, the incisions are stitched closed. This procedure requires a several-day stay at the hospital and recovery from four to six weeks. If you are searching for a less invasive approach to removing fibroids, please read on about Uterine Artery Embolization. This is a new and minimally-invasive approach to remove fibroids and preserve the uterus. Click here for more information about UAE. |