Are You Battling Fibroids But too Young for a Hysterectomy? What Are Your Options?

While few women look forward to getting their menstrual periods, for those suffering from fibroids, this time of the month can involve much more pain. When these dense uterine tumors are triggered by the estrogen and progesterone naturally produced by your body during your menstrual cycle, they can grow rapidly—pressing into the walls of your uterus to cause constipation, lower back pain, and other distressing symptoms. Fortunately, there are a number of relatively non-invasive treatment options that can give you your life back. Read on to learn more about your options for managing fibroids. 

Is surgery required to remove fibroid tumors?

Although fibroid tumors can appear intimidating when viewed on a CT scan or MRI, they don't always require surgical removal. In many cases, slow-growing or non-aggressive fibroids have been successfully managed or even eliminated with the use of oral contraceptives. The estrogen and progesterone mix in these contraceptives can shut down the fibroids' growth mechanism; over time and with limited access to the levels of hormones needed to grow, these tumors can shrink or disappear.

Other options short of surgery to remove fibroids include ultrasound and cauterization. During the ultrasound process, a technician will direct high-frequency sound waves at the tumors, breaking up this tissue. For especially large fibroids, this process can take several separate treatment sessions. Cauterization requires the insertion of an ultra-thin probe into your uterus. The tip of this probe is heated to high temperatures and used to remove the fibroid from its "base" on your uterine wall.

What are your surgical options?

If less-invasive treatments haven't been effective in reducing the size of your fibroid tumors or easing your symptoms, or if your tumors continue to recur (or become more aggressive after treatment), surgery may be the next step. Fortunately, one technique has shown success in treating fibroids and other uterine issues without requiring major abdominal surgery like a traditional hysterectomy.

A Da Vinci hysterectomy or partial hysterectomy is performed like arthroscopic surgery, which uses tiny incisions and cameras mounted to flexible probes rather than opening up the entire abdomen. This streamlined surgery helps minimize recovery time and is often even performed on an outpatient basis.

If you're not sure you're ready to part with your uterus just yet, you can opt for a Da Vinci myomectomy. Like cauterization, this process will remove your fibroid tumors from the inside out without requiring you to spend the night in the hospital or go through a painful or lengthy recovery. In many cases, you'll feel better during your myomectomy recovery than you did before having the operation. 

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