Do I Need Surgery for Uterine Fibroids?

Articles On Uterine Fibroids

You might not need a procedure for your uterine fibroids. But it depends in part on how bad your symptoms are.

Many women have uterine fibroids but don’t have symptoms. Those probably don’t need any treatment.

Medications can help if your symptoms are mild. Doctors usually save procedures for women whose fibroids that cause moderate or severe symptoms, like pain or heavy bleeding.

If you do need a procedure, there are a few different options that you and your doctor can talk about. Most of these techniques can be done by laparoscopy, which means your doctor makes small cuts instead of one big one. You have less pain and a shorter recovery time.

Myolysis

In this procedure, your doctor cuts the blood supply to the fibroid so it shrinks and dies through freezing, heating, or radiofrequency energy.

It’s best for small fibroids. There’s a chance that it can cause scarring or infection in the uterus, which could affect your fertility. So if you might want to get pregnant at some point, tell your doctor so you can weigh the risks and benefits.

Uterine Artery Embolization

If your fibroids cause issues like heavy bleeding or pain, your doctor might recommend this to shrink the fibroids and ease some of your symptoms.

Your doctor won’t have to make any cuts. Instead, they’ll insert a thin tube, called a catheter, into your uterine artery. Then they’ll inject a substance that cuts off the blood supply to the fibroids. This technique will shrink or kill them off and allow your uterus to decrease in overall size.

You might need a sedative for the procedure, so you’re awake but sleepy. You’ll probably feel some pressure when your doctor inserts the catheter, but you shouldn’t feel pain.

You’ll stay overnight at the hospital and be able to go home the next day. Many women have cramping after the procedure, so your doctor may give you some medicine to ease any discomfort.

Occasionally, fibroids grow back or for new ones to develop after uterine fibroid embolization. But there are risks, including damage to the blood vessel. You and your doctor should talk about whether this is the right procedure for you.

Endometrial Ablation

If you have really heavy periods but your fibroids are small, you might need endometrial ablation. It removes or destroys the lining of your uterus.

This procedure doesn’t involve any cuts to skin or abdomen, but is done through your vagina. It can be done many different ways, such as with a laser, boiling water, electric current, freezing, and more.

You should only consider it if you don’t want to get pregnant in the future. Depending on the procedure, you may be able to have it right in your doctor’s office. Recovery is usually quick, and you might have a lighter period or no periods at all after surgery.

Myomectomy

If you think you might want to get pregnant in the future, your doctor might suggest a myomectomy. This surgery removes the fibroids but leaves healthy tissue of your uterus.

Depending how many fibroids you have, how big they are, and where they’re located, your doctor has three choices for how to do the myomectomy:

Hysterectomy

This surgery removes your uterus. It may be the best option if your fibroids are large, you have very heavy periods, or if you know you don’t want children in the future.

The kind of hysterectomy you get depends on the size of your fibroids. If they’re small, your doctor might be able to do the surgery through your vagina. But if they’re large, they might need to cut open your abdomen.

In other cases, your doctor might be able to use a laparoscope. Some women have their cervix and ovaries removed during hysterectomy. Others keep their ovaries. If yours have to be removed, you’ll go through menopause. Talk about this with your doctor in advance so you know what to expect.

Hysterectomy is a major surgery. You’ll need at least a few weeks to recover. But recovery can take up to 6 to 8 weeks if your surgery is done through a larger incision in your belly.

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