Center for Gynecology & Women’s Health
Awareness of uterine fibroids – of how common they are and what a range of symptoms they can cause – has expanded among women and medical professionals,
as this condition has received more attention in recent years, and as diagnosis and treatment for it have significantly improved. A large portion of women in their 30s, 40s, or older have fibroid growths in their uterus. These growths may occur on the inner or out surface, or within the muscular wall, of the uterus. While many women have no symptoms from these benign masses, many others suffer such effects as heavy, prolonged menstrual
bleeding and cramping or pain that can sometimes be debilitating.
Our staff offers the latest approaches to evaluating patients who show signs of fibroids and to treating them. The objective of care for this condition is symptom relief.
Medical therapy, including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or hormonal therapy, for fibroids can be effective
for some patients. Other treatments to directly remove or reduce the fibroids themselves have also improved and expanded in use. Recently, specialists have been successful in developing procedures to minimize the invasiveness of such interventions.
Uterine fibroid embolization (UFE) uses catheters introduced through arteries in the legs and advanced to the arteries that supply blood to the uterus. Specialists can inject substances that form a clot (embolize) at these locations, thereby cutting off circulation to the uterine
tissue in which the fibroid is located. After this procedure, fibroids partly or completely shrink or die off, which typically alleviates symptoms. Our staff members refer to and collaborate with Frankford’s interventional radiologists as needed for this and other procedures.
The surgical options provided by our staff are myomectomy (surgical removal of the portion of the uterus containing fibroids)
or hysterectomy. Our gynecologic surgeons can also offer these procedures in a less-invasive form, performing them via laparoscopy for many patients. In addition, surgeons can use hysteroscopy to remove fibroids that are protruding into the uterine cavity. (Hysteroscopy can also sometimes be used to perform less-involved myomectomies.) All of these procedures are effective in relieving pain and pressure, and urinary symptoms, of uterine masses.
The radiology and other diagnostic services at Frankford Hospitals offer the highest quality studies, including the CT and
MR studies that can be important to diagnosing and evaluating uterine fibroids. As a patient at our center, you will know that results of your screening studies or other tests, including those involving
biopsy, will be sent directly to us. Our staff can provide diagnostic procedures that may be helpful in identifying fibroids, such as hysteroscopy, endometrial biopsy, and pelvic ultrasound.
