What We Offer Book Session
About 30 to 50 % of women in the reproductive age group (about 12 to 45) suffer from fibroids.
Fibroids are benign (non cancerous) tumors of the uterus and there is no definitive cure for them except surgery. They may grow in size till the woman reaches menopause after which they may remain the same or even shrink.
Fibroids may cause various symptoms such as heavy or painful periods or difficulty in conceiving or early abortions or they may not cause any symptoms at all. That would again depend on their size and location within the uterus (whether in the inner or outer or middle part of the uterus).
During pregnancy, fibroids may cause early abortion, premature delivery, abnormal positioning of the baby within the uterus or heavy bleeding following childbirth. They also tend to grow rapidly during pregnancy.
There are no fixed ways of treating a fibroid.
Treatment of fibroids should take into account the size and location of the fibroid(s) and the age and symptoms of the woman as well her desire for future childbearing. That would mean that each patient has to be given an individualised treatment based on her presentation and treatment goals.
The treatment for fibroids has advanced rapidly over the past few years with more and more emphasis on a conservative approach ... meaning noninvasive or minimally invasiv .
The options available are mind boggling...
Myomectomy ... Removal of fibroid(s) leaving behind the uterus, which could be accomplished through a laparoscope, a hysteroscope or the more traditional open abdominal approach. But yes, new fibroids can appear at a later date.
Hysterectomy ... Removal of the uterus {with the attendant fibroid(s) of course} again through laparoscopy, or vaginally (from below) or the open abdominal technique. This is a complete cure with no future recurrences.
Uterine artery embolization ... Blocking the vessels which feed the fibroids so that they shrink in size. This is minimally invasive and is becoming increasingly popular.
Focused ultrasound ... Destruction by using heat energy of ultrasound waves. This technique is sparingly available as it is new, but is gaining popularity among women who want to have children or preserve their uterus.
Medical treatment ... Using various medicines and injections are being evaluated and have been used with limited success. They have a role to play in special conditions.
All these procedures have their own limitations, advantages and apply best to one situation or the other. No one procedure can be best for everyone . It therefore makes sense for the woman to have a discussion about all the options available to her vis a vis her unique health concerns.
In summary, keeping in mind the plethora of treatment options available, each woman should have a thorough evaluation of her options before taking a final call.
What we offer at GyneGuide
Group counselling session with Dr Suman Bijlani for one hour followed by Q & A session.
The session would cover the following points:
- Introduction, basics, symptoms and diagnosis
- How fibroids affect fertility and affect pregnancy outcome
- Whether to operate... when to operate and when not to
- Different surgeries available and comparison between advantages and disadvantages of each option
- Non surgical treatment options
Individual counselling session with Dr Suman in her chamber.