When you’re dealing with severe uterine fibroids, you can experience pain, heavy bleeding, and other symptoms. For some, a hysterectomy — removing your entire uterus — might seem like the ultimate solution.
But before you take that step, it’s important to explore your options, including less invasive treatments like uterine fibroid embolization (UFE).
Read on as our Fresno Fibroid Center team shares three reasons a hysterotomy might be the best treatment and what other solutions you might consider instead.
A hysterectomy completely removes your uterus, a step that completely extracts your fibroids and prevents new ones from forming. Removing your uterus also means you won’t be able to have children in the future.
You might consider a hysterectomy if:
A hysterectomy won’t anatomically trigger surgical menopause (iatrogenic menopause). If your ovaries are removed (which doesn’t always have to happen during a hysterectomy), then you’ll enter surgical menopause.
About 53% of women with problematic fibroids are offered a hysterectomy as a first line of defense against fibroids. A hysterectomy can be the right choice for some women, but know that it’s not your only choice. Unfortunately, only 17% of those women polled thought a hysterectomy was the only option for fibroids.
This just isn’t the case. There are many other treatments, including minimally invasive options.
Fibroids can be surgically removed through a procedure called myomectomy, but if you’re looking for a nonsurgical solution, you might consider uterine fibroid embolization (UFE) — a procedure that our team specializes in.
Unlike a hysterectomy, UFE is a minimally invasive procedure that treats fibroids by cutting off their blood supply. Our team accesses your fibroid through a small incision in your groin or wrist. When the blood supply to your fibroid is cut off, it causes them to shrink. You get to keep your uterus, and recovery is much quicker compared to major surgery.
If you’re not ready to commit to a hysterectomy or want to explore alternatives that preserve your fertility and reduce downtime, you could be a candidate for UFE.
Are you wondering which of these uterine fibroid treatments is the best choice? That’s a great question, but thankfully, you don’t have to answer it on your own. Our team can help you consider your options.
You and your Fresno Fibroid Center provider can review your symptoms, the size and location of your fibroids, and your future family planning goals.
A hysterectomy might be the best choice for you if you have extremely large fibroids, you don’t plan to have more children, or if other treatments haven’t worked. But if you want an effective treatment that’s uterus-sparing and has fewer risks, UFE is worth considering.
If your fibroid symptoms are taking over your life, it’s time to take back the reins. Our team of experts offers fibroid diagnosis and management here in Fresno, California. To learn more, click here to book an appointment.
You can also request a free consultation at (559) 436-4737.
