Uterine Fibroids Treatment

If you're diagnosed to have uterine fibroids, but show no symptoms (such as heavy bleeding during menstruation, prolonged menstrual cycles, bleeding between menstrual periods, pain in the abdomen, frequent urination, pain during intercourse sexual or constipation), then you may not need further treatment. What doctors will do is examining during your regular checkups to see if the fibroids grow.
But for those who have fibroids with one or more of the above symptoms, there are some treatments that can help. Generally, there are two types of fibroid treatment, medication and surgery.
Usually, your doctor will ask you a few things to consider before choosing an appropriate treatment, such as;
- Whether you have symptoms of uterine (as mentioned above).
- Your age and proximity to menopause you are.
- Whether you are planning to become pregnant in the future.
- The size and location of fibroids.

There are 4 common types of fibroids location;
- Intramural fibroids, located in the wall of the uterus. It's the most common types of fibroids.
- Subserosal fibroids, located outside the wall of the uterus. This kind of uterine fibroids can become quite large.
- Submucosal fibroids, located in the muscle beneath the lining of the uterus wall.
- Cervical fibroids, located in the cervix.

Location of Fibroids in the Uterus

Medication Treatment for Fibroids

The doctor may suggest you to take medicine if you have mild symptoms. Drugs that are recommended for fibroids may include:

-          Ibuprofen or acetaminophen to reduce pain.

-          Iron supplement to prevent anemia if you have heavy bleeding

-          Low-dose oral birth control pills to control heavy bleeding.

-          GnRHa (Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone agonist) to shrink fibroids and usually used before surgery to make fibroids easier to remove. This drug has some side effects like depression, trouble sleeping, reduced libido and joint pain. GnRHa may cause bone thinning, so their use is limited to a maximum of six months. These drugs are also very expensive but offer only temporary relief of symptoms of fibroids. This means that when you stop taking the drugs, the fibroids often grow back quickly.

Surgery Treatment for Fibroids

If you have moderate to severe symptoms, the best way to treat your fibroids is surgery. There are some options for fibroid surgery;
- Myomectomy
This is an action to remove the fibroids without removing the healthy tissue of the uterus. It is probably the right choice for those wishing to get pregnant in the future. However, if your fibroids are located deep in the womb, you may need a cesarean childbirth. After performing a myomectomy, new fibroids may grow and cause problems.

Myomectomy

- Hysterectomy
Hysterectomy is performed when the fibroids are large and cause bleeding, it’s often carried out to those who are already menopause or will not get pregnant in the future. This is major surgery to remove the uterus. Although this surgery has a high risk of complications, but hysterectomy is usually quite safe.
- Endometrial Ablation
A woman can not carry a baby after this surgery; endometrial ablation removes or destroys the lining of the uterus. The goal is to control bleeding. This can be considered a minor surgery and made with the laser, the loops of thread, boiling water, electric current, microwaves or freezing. Approximately 50% of women who have this surgery have not menstrual bleeding and more than 30% have much lighter bleeding.
- Myolysis
It is also an action to destroy the fibroids by inserting a needle into the fibroids (usually guided by laparoscopy) and destroy them by the current method of freezing or electric.
- Uterine fibroid embolization (UFE) / Uterine Artery Embolization (UAE)
This is an action to reduce fibroids by blocking the blood supply to the fibroids. Studies have shown that fibroids do not grow back after UFE, but more research is needed for a long time. However, not all fibroids can be treated with UFE. Good candidates for UFE are women who: have fibroids that cause heavy bleeding and pain on the bladder or rectum, do not want a hysterectomy and do not want to get pregnant in the future.

Read also: O My God, I'm Having Fibroids and Pregnancy