New Advances in Fibroid Uterus Treatments

Fibroid uterus one time treatments such as Uterine Artery Embolization (UAE) or outpatient Myomectomy to remove fibroids from inside the uterus by laparoscopy (going in through the bellybotton) are the latest advances in fibroid care. Women seeking a fibroid uterus treatment one time only are hoping to avoid the expensive hospital stays previously required when fibroids were removed through an incision in the abdomen in a procedure called laparoscopy. With the new procedure allowing a laparoscope to go through the bellybutton, women also avoid having a scar on their abdomen. These new options for fibroid removal can also save the fertility of women who might otherwise be forced to undergo a hysterectomy.

Another new laparoscopic procedure to provide fibroid uterus treatment one time only is called myolysis. Instead of removing the fibroid, myolysis works to destroy the fibroid by cutting off its blood supply. With this method, there is no sample for the doctor to send to the lab to be tested for abnormal cells. The tissues decay inside the uterus and scar tissue develops on the uterine wall where the fibroid was rooted.

Uterine Artery Embolization (UAE) is similar to myolysis, but in this procedure a catheter is placed in the groin area through an artery which is then directed toward the blood supply of the fibroid. The catheter is then used to inject a plug to block the artery from providing blood to the fibroid. Uterine Artery Embolization (UAE) is primarily used to stop heavy bleeding caused by fibroids that have not responded to chemical or hormonal treatments.

Fibroid Uterus one time treatments are a vast improvement over conventional chemical and drug treatments offered by doctors such as prescribed birth control pills to control heavy bleeding symptoms or medicines that induce a false menopause in an effort to reduce the amount of available estrogen feeding the fibroids. These medicines effect a woman's hormone levels and need to be taken daily, while one time surgical treatments bring relief without the daily grind of taking pills and the worries about unintended side effects.

Some women decide not to treat smaller fibroids which can shrink or disappear on their own. If a woman is already close to menopause (when the level of estrogen available will naturally drop) she may want to wait and see if fibroids resolve themselves on their own. Conversely, some women have extremely large or especially painful fibroids where surgery may be a better choice. In cases where even new treatments are not an option due to a large number of fibroids, or fibroids within the uterine wall, a hysterectomy may be the best treatment. When in doubt, always consult a specialist.