Treatment and Risks
Fibroid Treatments
Watchful Waiting
Medication
Uterine Fibroid Embolization (UFE)
Ablation
Myomectomy
Myomectomy is the removal of fibroids. This surgical procedure preserves the possibility of getting pregnant.1 It can be done in several ways and may require hospitalization:
- Open: Open surgery requires an abdominal incision to remove large or numerous fibroids that have grown deep into or outside the uterine wall. Recovery is typically 4 to 6 weeks.
- Laparascopic: Laparoscopic myomectomy calls for one or more small incisions near your belly button. A lighted viewing instrument is used to remove the uterus. Recovery is typically 2 to 4 weeks.
- Hysterocopic: Hysteroscopic myomectomy involves placing a thin, lighted instrument through the vagina and cervix into the uterus to locate and remove fibroids on the inner wall of the uterine cavity. No incisions are needed and recovery is short.
Hysterectomy
Procedural Comparison
Medication | Ablation | UFE | Myomectomy | Hysterectomy | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Removal of Uterus | No | No | No | No | Yes |
Recovery Time | N/A | Outpatient | 1-2 weeks | 2-4 weeks | 2-6 weeks |
Minimally Invasive | N/A | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Preserves Ability to Get Pregnant | Yes | Yes, but decreased | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Polyp Treatments
Watchful Waiting
Hysteroscopic Tissue Removal
Hysterectomy
Risks
Myomectomy
Uterine Fibroid Embolization (UFE)
Your interventional radiologist will prescribe medications to keep you comfortable while you are recovering. Like any treatment, there can be side effects or complications with UFE that you may experience during your recovery.
All patients have some symptoms of Post-Embolization Syndrome (PES). For example, pelvic pain or cramping, nausea, fever, vomiting or malaise are typical. Symptoms vary per patient and last for a short time.
Rare complications that may appear sometime after the procedure are:
- Reduced blood flow to the leg
- Allergic drug reactions
- Infection
- Uterine ischemia (a decreasing or ineffective blood supply to the uterus)
- Uteroenteric fistula (an abnormal connection between ureter and gastrointestinal tract)