Any woman who experiences the pain and discomfort associated with uterine fibroids has likely spoken to her doctor or researched online the various treatment options available. For years, the most common option was surgery—specifically, removing the uterus by way of a hysterectomy. Thankfully, modern medicine has an alternative surgical procedure called a myomectomy. While surgery is not the only option for many women, those who do elect to undergo surgery with a myomectomy do so for the simple fact that it preserves the uterus and can be effective for those who still plan to have children.
At Fibroid Institute Texas, our team of specialists believes that educating women helps them make informed decisions about their healthcare today, tomorrow, and in the future. This is especially true when it comes to fibroids, which continue to be a misunderstood and underfunded condition for women worldwide.
The bottom line is to know you have options, even when surgery is the recommended treatment for your unique situation.
What Is a Myomectomy?
Uterine fibroids are non-cancerous growths that develop from the muscle tissue of the uterus and are commonly diagnosed in women between the ages of 35 and 54. However, fibroids can occur in women younger than 35 and until menopause. Fibroids can lead to painful, life-altering symptoms such as:
- Painful periods, debilitating cramps, pelvic pain, and pressure
- Heavy or abnormal menstrual bleeding
- Painful intercourse
- Fatigue and weakness
- Bloating or swelling in the lower abdomen
- Back or leg pain
- An urge to urinate
- Difficult or painful bowel movements
A myomectomy is similar to a hysterectomy in that it removes uterine fibroids and the complications that arise from them. However, the goal of a myomectomy is to remove the symptom-causing fibroids and preserve the uterus. Depending on how many fibroids need to be removed, your doctor will surgically reconstruct the uterus to ensure its viability long term. This is good news to women who are not quite ready to have their entire uterus and, in some cases, fallopian tubes and ovaries, removed by way of a hysterectomy, as doing so eliminates their ability to have children in the future.
Approximately 30,000 myomectomy surgeries are performed annually. Most patients say they no longer experience fibroid pain and symptoms. The typical recovery time is 2-6 weeks, compared to six weeks for a hysterectomy.
There are three ways to perform a myomectomy:
Hysteroscopic Myomectomy
This procedure is less invasive and can be performed on an outpatient basis. However, it is only for patients whose fibroids are located in the uterine cavity. Fibroids within the uterine wall cannot be removed with a hysteroscopic myomectomy. Your surgeon will use a thin, telescopic tube to access the uterine cavity before lifting the walls of the uterus to shave off the fibroids. The recovery time is about a week.
Laparoscopic Myomectomy
Only four tiny incisions to the abdominal area are needed to access the uterus, and recovery time is roughly four weeks with minimal scarring. A laparoscopic myomectomy is also limited in that it can only remove certain types of fibroids. Patients with large fibroids or multiple fibroids embedded deep in the uterine wall will not benefit from this procedure.
Abdominal Myomectomy
This is by far the most invasive of the three myomectomy procedural options and the most common. It requires a long incision in the lower abdominal region and in the area of the uterus where the fibroids are located. Your doctor will not be as limited with abdominal myomectomies, as they can safely remove deeply embedded fibroids as well as those that are excessively large or in large quantities. Keep in mind that removing these complicated fibroids increases a patient’s recovery time, four to six weeks, though the benefit of keeping the intact uterus remains.
Approximately 30,000 myomectomy surgeries are performed annually. Most patients say they no longer experience fibroid pain and symptoms. The typical recovery time is 2-6 weeks.
A Myomectomy Is Not Your Only Option
Many women do not realize that there are less invasive options outside of a hysterectomy or myomectomy. In fact, more than 60% of the roughly 171 million women worldwide who suffer from fibroids are in this category. According to a study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, as many as 1 in 5 women in the United States whose doctor recommended a hysterectomy did not need one.
If your doctor suggests a hysterectomy or myomectomy, it is important to seek a second opinion. Many women have found relief from painful uterine fibroids through one of the following surgical alternatives:
- Medications — Although this will not eliminate your fibroids, medications can help with some of your symptoms.
- Acessa — In this procedure, a small probe is placed into a fibroid and heated up to destroy it. If you have multiple large fibroids or fibroids that are hard to get to, Acessa is not a good choice. It is also not covered by some insurance companies.
- Sonata System — Radiofrequency energy shrinks fibroids using an intrauterine ultrasound device. Sonata works well when the patient has one or several fibroids and/or non-pedunculated submucosal fibroids. Fibroids larger than 5.0 cm may require multiple ablations.
- Endometrial Ablation — This technique removes the inside lining of the uterus to reduce heavy bleeding. Doctors place a thin instrument into the uterus through the cervix and use heat, laser, electricity, microwaves, or freezing. However, it is not a good option if you want to get pregnant in the future. It also will not shrink or treat fibroids outside the interior uterine lining.
- Uterine Fibroid Embolization (UFE) — A minimally invasive procedure that cuts off blood flow to fibroids, causing them to shrink and die. UFE is provided by a specialized fibroid doctor known as an interventional radiologist. It is low risk, does not require incisions, and is faster than other alternatives.
UFE, in particular, is safer, non-surgical, and offers a faster recovery time than its predecessors. For patient life quality, the most important benefits of undergoing UFE are relief from symptoms associated with fibroids, like heavy menstrual bleeding, depleted energy, and being homebound during your menstrual cycle.
A few advantages of UFE at Fibroid Institute include:
- Over 90% effective in fibroid symptom reduction
- No hospital stay; can be performed under local anesthesia
- Needs no incision, making it less invasive than other treatments
- Covered by most medical insurance
- Shorter recovery period, only 1 week in most cases
- Avoids side effects of hormone therapies typically used to treat fibroids
- Mobile number given to every UFE patient to contact her doctor directly
Out of all the options, UFE is a unique procedure because of its ability to treat uterine fibroid symptoms—regardless of location or size—without having to go through painful surgery and lengthy recovery time. As a result, you can get back to your life more quickly and have a greater chance of avoiding additional complications. UFE also helps women to avoid early menopause, sexual dysfunction and other side effects that can result from other treatments.
Why Choose Myomectomy for Fibroids When UFE Is an Option?
Uterine fibroids can cause painful and life-altering symptoms for many women, especially as they get larger and put more pressure on your uterus. While hysterectomy and myomectomy used to be the most common way to improve a patient’s quality of life, they are no longer the only options. At Fibroid Institute, we do not believe you need to decide between suffering in silence or having invasive fibroid surgery. That is why we are dedicated to treating fibroids using uterine fibroid embolization (UFE), the gold standard in non-surgical fibroid treatment.
UFE is a unique procedure because of its ability to treat uterine fibroid symptoms—regardless of location or size—without having to go through painful surgery and lengthy recovery time.
As board-certified interventional radiologists our Houston and Dallas fibroid doctors help thousands of women avoid fibroid surgery and find relief from their fibroid symptoms.
Request a free 10-15-minute phone screening to determine if you are eligible. If you qualify for UFE after the screening, you can schedule your on-site or telehealth consultation at our 100% fibroid-focused practice. Most major medical insurance providers cover the cost of UFE.
We are dedicated to helping you become #FibroidFree. Get started now by calling Dallas fibroid clinics at 214-838-6440, calling Houston fibroid clinics at 713-903-3733, or complete the form below.
Fibroid Institute Texas serves the Dallas and Houston areas including Addison, Carrollton, Plano, Frisco, Craig Ranch, McKinney, Allen, Fort Worth, Grand Prairie, HEB, Arlington, Hutchins, Irving, Duncanville, DeSoto, Cedar Hill, Lancaster, Cockrell Hill, Highland Park, University Park, Park Cities, Garland, Mesquite, Richardson, Dallas, Sherman, Houston, Sugar Land, Katy, Webster, Clear Lake, The Woodlands, Universal City, Spring, Kingwood, Stafford, Conroe, Texas City, Cypress, League City, Bellaire, and more.
Before starting any new treatment or if you have questions regarding a medical condition, always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health provider. This information is not a substitute for professional medical advice.
*Patient names and/or photos may be changed to protect patient confidentiality.