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Fibroids Uterine fibroid tumors are the most common tumor in women with a prevalence of between 20-50%. These benign fibroid tumors, or myomas, appear to grow in relation to their exposure to estrogen. Symptoms can range from excessive or dysfunctional uterine bleeding, severe pain, anemia of undetermined origin, or pressure-related symptoms from enlarged fibroids. Infertility or recurrent miscarriage have been associated with fibroids that significantly distort the uterus.
For women who do not wish to have the uterus removed, myomectomy, a surgical procedure to remove uterine fibroid tumors, is an option available for continued fertility. Women who have completed childbearing may want to consider removal of the uterus because of the awareness that multiple fibroids have a recurrence rate as high as 50%; however, solitary fibroids return in only 10-20% of reported studies. Patients who opt for myomectomy should be aware of potential pregnancy-related complications if they do conceive, including possibility of a necessary cesarean section.
Only a fraction of patients with fibroids are candidates for surgical therapy, and for those who are candidates, minimally invasive surgical techniques may be desirable. The physician's goal is always to choose the most efficient and least painful or problematic alternative for patients undergoing treatment for this extremely common gynecologic disorder.
Center for Women's Care &
Reproductive SurgeryŠ 2006 |
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What To Do When the Doctor Says It's Endometriosis
"Everything you need to know to stop the pain and heal your fertility."
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