Treatment Options For Fibroids

From no therapy to surgery, fibroids can be treated in various ways. Treatment Options For Fibroids are typically not required unless fibroids are causing severe bleeding, discomfort, or bladder issues.

If you have fibroids, you should be checked out regularly to assess your symptoms and have your abdomen and pelvis checked to check the size of the fibroids and your uterus.

Routine pelvic ultrasounds offer relatively little value if you are symptom-free. Until menopause, fibroids will likely enlarge annually, but this doesn’t necessarily mean you require treatment unless the change is accompanied by incapacitating symptoms.

Options for fibroids treatment include the following:

Medications

The current fibroids treatments only briefly alleviate symptoms; they do not remove the fibroids themselves. Before having surgery, it is worthwhile for women with severe bleeding to consider medication. There are presently no treatments that will help women with pressure feelings brought on by big fibroids.

There are several intriguing new medications that will treat the fibroids themselves rather than just the symptoms on the horizon.

Contraceptive Pills and Progestational Agents as Treatment Options For Fibroids

Hormonal medicines are frequently provided to women with heavier menstrual cycles and fibroids in an effort to lessen bleeding and regulate the menstrual cycle. These drugs won’t reduce fibroids’ size or speed up their growth.

After three months, if the medication hasn’t reduced your bleeding, talk to your doctor. Oral contraceptives shouldn’t be used by smokers over 35.

GnRH Agonists (Lupron) as Treatment Option For Fibroids

By inhibiting estrogen synthesis, GnRH agonists are a type of medicine that temporarily reduce fibroids and cease excessive bleeding. The most well-known of these medications is lupron. Lupron can reduce fibroid symptoms but also brings on uncomfortable menopausal symptoms like hot flashes. Bone loss might result from prolonged use.

Just a few very particular situations call for the use of lupron. It might be advised if you have severe anemia and excessive bleeding and require a blood transfusion during fibroid surgery. Lupron may temporarily stop your periods if you take it for up to three months before surgery, preventing the need for blood transfusions. Before having fibroid surgery, if you have really large fibroids that measure more than 10 to 12 cm, lupron may also be advised. If surgery is not intended, Lupron should not be used to treat fibroids alone since, if you stop taking it, they will grow back to their former size.

Myomectomy as Treatment Option For Fibroids

A procedure called a myomectomy is used to remove fibroids while leaving the uterus intact. The best course of action for fibroid-symptomatic women who intend to have children in the future is a myomectomy.

Although myomectomy is very effective, fibroids sometimes recur. The likelihood of developing fibroids again in the future increases with age and the number of fibroids present at the time of myomectomy. After a myomectomy, women who are close to menopause are least likely to experience recurrent fibroids-related issues.

There are numerous ways to do a myomectomy. You might be a candidate for the following depending on the size, number, and location of your fibroids:

• an abdominal myomectomy,
• a laparoscopic myomectomy,
• or a hysteroscopic myomectomy. 

Hysterectomy as Treatment Option For Fibroids

The uterus is removed during a major surgical procedure called a hysterectomy. To permanently relieve their fibroid problems, many women choose for hysterectomy. Menstrual bleeding stops after a hysterectomy, pelvic pressure is reduced, frequent urination is better, and new fibroids cannot develop. After a hysterectomy, a woman can no longer get pregnant.

During a hysterectomy, the ovaries aren’t always taken out. If a woman is in menopause or is getting near menopause, her ovaries are typically removed. Additionally, the patient’s ovaries may be removed if they appear abnormal or if she wants to lessen her risk of developing ovarian cancer in the future. Removing the ovaries might result in hot flashes, dry vagina, and other symptoms in pre-menopausal women. It would be beneficial if you and your doctor discussed the benefits and drawbacks of ovarian removal.

Vaginal, abdominal, and laparoscopic hysterectomy procedures are among the many hysterectomy surgery techniques. The size of the uterus and several other criteria will determine which approach is best.

Uterine Artery Embolization (UAE)

A less invasive method for treating fibroids than open surgery is a procedure known as Uterine Artery Embolization. Embolization involves cutting off the blood supply to the fibroids, which causes them to contract and eventually die. Additionally, this frequently lessens menstrual bleeding and pain, pressure, frequent urination, and constipation symptoms.

An interventional radiologist performs UAE in a radiology suite instead of an operating room. Before starting the treatment, an IV line will be inserted, and you’ll be given a sedative. Throughout the process, you will be awake yet tired.

The majority of patients spend the night in the hospital so that we can monitor the vascular access site and administer effective pain relief. You’ll be released the following day. In a week, most women can resume their normal activities.

Bottom Line

There are several different treatment options for Uterine fibroids. It can be scary to be diagnosed with, but with the right treatment plan and lifestyle changes, you can manage this condition. 

You must consult your doctor and ask about all the options that are best for your condition and your needs, such as fertility.