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Home »Treatment » Laparoscopy » Uterine Fibroids
Overview
Uterine fibroid is the most common benign solid tumor of the female genital tract & is diagnosed in approx 25-30% of females. The incidence increases in the later years of women's reproductive years.
Sign & Symptoms
- Uterine leiomyomas are frequently asymptomatic in which case no treatment is required.
- In other cases fibroids cause heavy menstrual bleeding with menstrual cramps or both.
- Some women have difficulty in conceiving.
- Sometimes they apply pressure on the surrounding organs like the bladder and the ureters giving rise to difficulty in emptying the bladder or cause backpressure changes leading to hydronephrosis
Diagnosis
- Hemoglobin - To detect anemia.
- Clinical Examination.
- Ultrasound pelvis.
Treatment
Do Nothing - If the fibroids are small and not giving rise to any symptoms, no active treatment is required. The patient is advised for regular check up by annual USG pelvis just to monitor the size of the fibroid
Medication- This can be given to shrink the fibroids temporarily to control symptoms such as painful or heavy periods. They are not a permanent cure for fibroids.
Surgery- offered when the symptoms are not controlled with medication or the fibroids are too big / growing too rapidly.
- Laparoscopic myomectomy - when the female is young and wants to preserve her uterus then through this keyhole surgery the myoma or the fibroid is removed
- No long scar, so better cosmetic results
- Total laparoscopic hysterectomy - If the women has completed her family & is having multiple fibroids, then the uterus is removed along with the fibroids.
- Hysteroscopic myomectomy - If the fibroid is encroaching the uterine cavity (i.e submucus in position) a Hysteroscopic myomectomy is done.
