Chicago OB/GYN explains how to treat fibroids safely and effectively
Hearing that you have uterine fibroids can be a bit daunting! However, rest easy, knowing that you are not alone. As many as 30 percent of women between 35 and 50 may get fibroids in the uterine wall. At Northwestern Women’s Health Associates, in Chicago, we believe in patient education. We are committed to helping each patient achieve optimal health and have found education to be instrumental in achieving this goal. We know how to treat fibroids effectively.
What uterine fibroids are:
Also called leiomyomas or myomas, these are muscular tumors that can grow on your uterine wall. They almost never turn into cancer. They vary in size, where they are located, and shape. Some remain so small we can’t see them without magnification while others can grow large enough to affect the size of your uterus. Many times, they don’t have symptoms and are only found during routine exams and ultrasounds.
Some symptoms that may occur:
- Heavy and painful periods.
- Pressure and pain in your lower stomach.
- Miscarriages or infertility.
- Pain during sex.
- Enlarged abdomen or uterus.
Treatments used for fibroids:
Often, fibroids don’t need to be treated, however they can cause other medical problems because of the size or location of them. We always consult with you to come up with a treatment plan as both your feelings about the treatment and the symptoms you are experiencing are very important to us. We often can treat without the necessity for open surgery. Operative hysteroscopy is used to remove the fibroids. This is a same day surgery. Operative or robotic assisted laparoscopy can also be used for fibroid removal with a fast recovery time. Sometimes, we can use embolization procedures to cut off the blood supply to fibroids, thereby “starving” them out. Hysterectomies are sometimes needed to fix your problems and can often be done with minimally invasive surgery..
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