Fear of Fribroids? New Hope for Future Moms

The above article describes an alternative treatment for uterine fibroids that may preserve the woman's fertility. Fibroid tumors are benign but can cause increased bleeding and pain. Women who have uterine fibroids are often recommended to have hysterectomies to remedy the problem. This will insure that the fibroids don't come back, yet takes away the woman's ability to carry children.

An alternative solution to the traditional hysterectomy is a UAE, which stands for uterine artery embolization.

Procedure

A catheter is inserted into the artery that feeds the fibroid with blood. Through the catheter, polyvinyl alcohol is injected into the artery which plugs the artery, blocking off the supply to the fibroid.

The procedure is done using local anesthesia and requires an overnight hospital stay. Recovery time is about 7 days.

Another alternative to a hysterectomy is called laparoscopic myomectomy. This option tries to cut away the fibroid. This procedure may not work for larger fibroids.

In the medical community there is debate over the use of the alternative procedures, but new studies are showing the effectiveness of them. Asking your doctor about all of the treatment options will help to see if an alternative would be an option. At the above article link, there is a printable 7 question questionaire to ask your physician to see what options are available in your individual case. The list includes questions about cost, recovery, and experience of your doctor. Your age, general health and the size of the fibroids also play a factor.

Lastly, the article states that there may be even non-surgical options to treating fibroids in the future. Using ultrasound treatments and chemical/drug treatments could be another treatment in the future.

More resources can be found at
www.fibroids.net
www.4woman.gov/faq/fibroids.htm