“I Have Uterine Fibroids. Should I be concerned?”
The doctors that make up Women’s Specialists of Plano see their fair share of uterine fibroids weekly at their Plano, Frisco and Dallas, Texas area OBGYN office. Uterine fibroid tumors are one of the most common gynecological conditions affecting American women today—in fact, this year alone, almost 1 in 4 will be diagnosed with these benign uterine tumors. While the majority of uterine fibroid tumors are non-cancerous, there is the incidence of malignancy (cancer) in about 1 in 10,000—making fibroids a worrisome diagnosis for thousands of women and treatment of uterine cysts a top priority.
Not too long ago, most American women were sent down the road of having a hysterectomy when diagnosed with uterine fibroids. I recently interviewed a group of Plano, Texas-based gynecologists—as well as some of their patients—and was pleasantly surprised to learn that there are in fact several options for patients suffering from uterine fibroids.
What are Uterine Fibroid Tumors?
Fibroids are tumors that develop in the uterus, most often, affecting women over the age of 30 and still in childbearing years. They can be very small, exist as one or in groupings, can be slow or fast growing, and for many, symptoms will be almost non-existent. For many women, on-going and at times continuous cramping, bloating, constipation, heavy bleeding and a feeling of pressure and pain in the uterus can exist. For women with a personal or family history of cancer, knowing that these tumors exist within the uterus can be troublesome making the treatment of uterine cysts a very important decision for them.
When I met with Patricia, a patient of Dr. Murray Fox, a physician with the Women’s Specialists of Plano practice, she described symptoms that sounded more like a pregnancy than a uterine fibroid. Her non-cancerous uterine tumors presented themselves years earlier and over time began to grow until the end result was a cantaloupe size tumor. With a growth so large, she decided to have a full hysterectomy because once the tumor was removed, much of her uterus would have to be removed with it. Since Patricia was past her child-bearing years, a hysterectomy was an acceptable route to take.
According to Dr. Jules Monier, a gynecologist with Women’s Specialists, most women will be diagnosed in the earlier stages through routine pelvic exams.
“We are able to diagnose uterine fibroids early on in most cases and monitor them with each patient. During this time, conservative treatment of uterine cysts can be provided. It’s important for women to be cognitive of their symptoms and pay attention to what their body is telling them so that a more aggressive treatment option can be considered if necessary. No woman should be expected to endure the harsher symptoms that can come along with uterine fibroids.”
Treatment of Uterine Cysts
The exact causes of uterine fibroid tumors are unknown. The Women’s Specialists of Plano experts agree that treatment of uterine cysts is not necessary with uterine fibroids unless at least one of the following conditions are occurring:
- The uterine fibroid is greater in size than a 12-week pregnancy
- The uterine fibroid(s) is growing
- The uterine fibroid(s) is causing bleeding
- The uterine fibroid(s) is causing pain
- The uterine fibroid(s) is associated with pregnancy loss
Treatment options available today are vastly different than years ago. “Before our patients have to consider a hysterectomy for their uterine fibroids, they do have other treatment options, that in most cases, are successful. Uterine artery embolization and myomectomy procedures are highly effective treatment options and are generally recommended before a hysterectomy,” Says Dr. Daryl Greebon, a Plano, Texas-based OBGYN.
During a uterine artery embolization procedure, physicians use an x-ray camera to inject small particles through a catheter directly aimed at the fibroid. These particles block the arteries that provide blood flow and essentially cause the fibroids to shrink.
A myomectomy is a surgical procedure where the fibroid tumors are surgically removed. This procedure can be done with an open incision or using a more minimally-invasive technique such as the robotic myomectomy. The robotic method reduces the side effects of the surgery and overall recovery. A myomectomy, in general, is considered one of the only surgical treatment options that preserve fertility.
In the procedures mentioned above, a large majority of women experience relief with their symptoms.
Robin is another patient of Women’s Specialists I interviewed and one who had a dramatically different outcome than my earlier subject. She also battled uterine fibroid tumors since she was in her late 20’s and because she still desired to have children, she opted to have a robotic myomectomy. Dr. Dennis Eisenberg performed the surgery robotically and today, she remains symptom free from her fibroid tumors. Although the risk of them returning does exist; she has not had any real significant growths or reoccurrences.
Dr. Murray Fox explains, “Uterine fibroid tumors can affect the quality of life. I have had young women who are afraid to go to their places of business for fear they will soak through their clothes due to heavy bleeding caused by fibroids, and others who have experienced weight gain in the abdominal area because of fast growing and oversized tumors. The question I go over with my patients first is should the fibroid tumors be treated? If the answer is yes, we discuss how.”
It is extremely important to talk to your gynecologist, get all of the facts revolving around your specific uterine fibroid tumors and review all of your options to help you decide the best outcome for your particular situation, future desires and current lifestyle.
To learn more about uterine fibroid tumors, or to discuss treatment of uterine cysts with a medical professional in the Plano, Frisco and Dallas, Texas communities, please contact the office of Women’s Specialists of Plano.