Uterine Fibroids and how it affects Women.
I get very emotional, anytime i have to write / read about uterine fibroid because my mom battled with for years before developing cancer of the uterus. Having lost someone so close and dear to me to cancer, i cant help but share this article and in the long run create awareness about this disease which is revenging our species and causing infertility to many.
What are fibroids?
Fibroids are non-cancerous tumours that grow in or around the womb (uterus). These growths are made up of muscle and fibrous tissue and may vary in size, from as small as 1cm to as big as 25cm and can be big enough to make a woman look up to 8 months pregnant. One person can have only one fibroid or as many as fifty or sixty fibroids in the womb at a time.
Fibroids are non-cancerous tumours that grow in or around the womb (uterus). These growths are made up of muscle and fibrous tissue and may vary in size, from as small as 1cm to as big as 25cm and can be big enough to make a woman look up to 8 months pregnant. One person can have only one fibroid or as many as fifty or sixty fibroids in the womb at a time.
Fibroids are extremely common. More than
75 percent of women can be found to have small fibroids using MRI, a
very sensitive imaging technique which is more accurate than a
conventional scan. However, only about 30 percent of all women will have
fibroids large enough to be noted during a pelvic exam, and the vast
majority of even these women, more than 80 percent, will never have
symptoms and will never require treatment.
What are the causes of fibroids?
The definite cause of fibroids is not known, but each individual fibroid starts form a single cell growing abnormally (mutation), and these cells produce large amounts of collagen and other proteins. The female hormones estrogen and progesterone are necessary for fibroids to grow, so they usually do not occur before puberty when production of these hormones begins and shrink after menopause when hormone production drastically decreases. Women with fibroids are not more prone to breast lumps than anyone else or to developing any other benign or cancerous conditions.
The definite cause of fibroids is not known, but each individual fibroid starts form a single cell growing abnormally (mutation), and these cells produce large amounts of collagen and other proteins. The female hormones estrogen and progesterone are necessary for fibroids to grow, so they usually do not occur before puberty when production of these hormones begins and shrink after menopause when hormone production drastically decreases. Women with fibroids are not more prone to breast lumps than anyone else or to developing any other benign or cancerous conditions.
What are the Symptoms of Fibroids?
Most women with uterine fibroids have no symptoms. However, fibroids can cause a number of symptoms depending on their size, location and how close they are to adjacent pelvic organs. Women may experience:
Most women with uterine fibroids have no symptoms. However, fibroids can cause a number of symptoms depending on their size, location and how close they are to adjacent pelvic organs. Women may experience:
- Heavy bleeding between or during periods that may include blood clots
- Menstrual periods that last longer than usual
- Increased menstrual cramping (dysmenorrhoea)
- Swelling or enlargement of the abdomen
- Increased urination
- Pain during intercourse
- Pain in the pelvis and/or lower back
- Pressure or fullness in the lower abdomen
- Fibroids can also be a cause of infertility, depending on the exact location in the uterus
What are the Types of Fibroids?
Different types of fibroids develop in different locations in and on the uterus as follows:
Sub mucosal fibroids: They grow and bulge toward the inside of the uterus. They grow directly below the lining cells of the uterus and may lead to heavy or irregular bleeding.
Intramural fibroids: These stay mostly embedded within the middle of the wall of the uterus
Subserosal fibroids: They grow on the outside of the uterus
Different types of fibroids develop in different locations in and on the uterus as follows:
Sub mucosal fibroids: They grow and bulge toward the inside of the uterus. They grow directly below the lining cells of the uterus and may lead to heavy or irregular bleeding.
Intramural fibroids: These stay mostly embedded within the middle of the wall of the uterus
Subserosal fibroids: They grow on the outside of the uterus
What are the options for treatment?
Fibroids do not need to be removed if they are not causing any problems. If a fibroid is significantly affecting the quality of life of a woman in any way, she should seek medical attention for a definitive treatment. The most common treatment for fibroids is surgical, which involves removing the fibroid(s) from the womb. The procedure is called a myomectomy and this is usually done through the abdomen (called an abdominal or open myomectomy).
Fibroids do not need to be removed if they are not causing any problems. If a fibroid is significantly affecting the quality of life of a woman in any way, she should seek medical attention for a definitive treatment. The most common treatment for fibroids is surgical, which involves removing the fibroid(s) from the womb. The procedure is called a myomectomy and this is usually done through the abdomen (called an abdominal or open myomectomy).
In Nigeria, fibroid surgeries are
usually associated with fear because many people have heard stories from
the media, or have friends and relatives who either died or had very
bad experiences with the procedure – blood transfusions, long hospital
stay, difficulty getting pregnant after the procedure, removal of the
womb completely, problems with anesthesia and even death.
Depending on the size and location of the fibroids, the following can be considered:
Hysteroscopic myomectomy: This is a minimally invasive procedure performed under anesthesia. A fine instrument with a camera is introduced into the vagina and it goes through the cervix to the uterus without making an incision and the video images are projected on a screen. The fibroid is then removed in pieces through the cervix. Patients go home about two hours after the procedure. Recovery is fast and the uterus is preserved. This procedure is only suitable for fibroid inside the womb.
Hysteroscopic myomectomy: This is a minimally invasive procedure performed under anesthesia. A fine instrument with a camera is introduced into the vagina and it goes through the cervix to the uterus without making an incision and the video images are projected on a screen. The fibroid is then removed in pieces through the cervix. Patients go home about two hours after the procedure. Recovery is fast and the uterus is preserved. This procedure is only suitable for fibroid inside the womb.
Laparoscopic myomectomy: Small incisions less than a quarter of an inch in size are made in the abdomen and the fibroid is removed in small pieces through the incisions. The recovery period is very short.
Abdominal myomectomy:
This is the traditional approach to removing fibroids; it is performed
through an incision in the abdomen. This technique is usually reserved
for very large fibroids that cannot be removed through minimally
invasive surgery.Laparoscopic or Open hysterectomy: This is the complete removal of the uterus and is reserved for women who do not want children in the future and who have multiple fibroids that are not suitable for myomectomy or uterine artery embolization. This can be considered a definitive treatment and ensures that the fibroids do not recur.
Drug treatments: There are some medications (tablets and injections) used to treat fibroids. Drugs alone are usually insufficient as they grow back once the drug is stopped. The drugs are hormonal and can have adverse side effects if used for prolonged periods. In selected cases, drugs are used to shrink fibroids just before surgery to make the procedure less complicated
Uterine Fibroid Embolization: This non-surgical treatment is and increasingly popular alternative to hysterectomy and myomectomy. It is performed by specialists called Interventional Radiologists and involves introducing a catheter through the blood vessels in the thigh and releasing microbeads which block the blood supply of the fibroid, thus causing them to die off.
An
abdominal myomectomy is safe if it is done by a skilled professional in
a standard hospital. However, there are other surgical procedures which
are less invasive than the abdominal myomectomy and are associated with
quicker recovery and fewer side effects. There are also new options for
treatment which are non-surgical.
Anyone who has been diagnosed with
uterine fibroids and has problems like bleeding or infertility, should
not allow the fear of surgery prevent her from dealing with the problem
and taking a decision on treatment, or resort to alternative choices of
treatment that will only offer, at best, temporary relief.
Culled From; www.bellanaija.com
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