Your options
If you have been diagnosed with fibroids, you should discuss various treatments with your doctor. For fibroids that do not interfere with daily living, treatments range from “watchful waiting” to pharmaceutical therapy. If you experience more severe symptoms, however, you may want more treatment options. Your doctor may tell you about UFE, a non-surgical therapy that spares your uterus, or surgical interventions, such as hysterectomy and myomectomy. It is important to be sure to discuss all of these options with your doctor find the best option for you.
If your fibroids do not cause symptoms, there is no need to treat them. Your doctor may want to monitor them for any growth at your annual examinations. Some women may have fibroids but not experience symptoms. If you begin to experience or have been experiencing some or many symptoms, there are several other treatment options that may be available to you. These include pharmaceuticals, surgery, and UFE. Your doctor should discuss all of your options based on your condition.
Pharmaceuticals
Many physicians will prescribe birth control pills as a means of controlling excessive bleeding caused by fibroids. Other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents (NSAIDs) may be prescribed for pain relief. Birth control pills effectively trick your body into thinking it is pregnant. Continue reading…
Surgery
Hysterectomy is defined as the “surgical removal of the uterus” (womb). It is one of the most common of all surgical procedures and can also involve the removal of the fallopian tubes, ovaries and cervix. Following this operation you will no longer have periods, be fertile, or be able to have any more children. Continue reading…
UFE
Uterine Fibroid Embolization (UFE) is a procedure to treat fibroids without surgery, with a short recovery time. An interventional radiologist uses a long tube called a catheter to deliver small, microscopic beads that block the fibroids’ blood supply. It is used to treat all types of fibroids without surgery. The procedure itself usually takes less than one hour. Continue reading…