There are basically two types of surgeries that are being used for treating uterine fibroids. There is the hysterectomy and then there is myomectomy.
Hysterectomy
Hysterectomy is a procedure where the whole uterus will be removed and this is the only 100% sure way to get rid of those fibroids for once and for good. The downside is that this is a MAJOR operation and it does have severe side effects and the recovery will take several weeks, even if the actual operation goes well..
Uterine fibroid embolization (also known as uterine artery embolization) represents a fundamentally new approach to the treatment of fibroids. Embolization is a minimally invasive means of blocking the arteries that supply blood to the fibroids. It is a procedure that uses angiographic techniques (similar to those used in heart catheterization) to place a catheter into the uterine arteries. Small particles are injected into the arteries, which results in the blockage of the arteries feeding the fibroids. This technique is essentially the same as that used to control bleeding that occurs after birth or pelvic fracture, or bleeding caused by malignant tumors. The procedure was first used in fibroid patients in France as a means of decreasing the blood loss that occurs during myomectomy. It was discovered that after the embolization, while awaiting surgery, many patient’s symptoms went away and surgery was no longer needed. The blockage of the blood supply caused degeneration of the fibroids and this resulted in resolution of their symptoms. This has led to the use of this technique as a stand-alone treatment for symptomatic fibroids.
A uterine fibroid is a kind of non-cancerous (benign) tumor that originates in the myometrium muscle layer and adjoining connective tissues in the uterus and can grow inside the uterine cavity. Fibroid is the most common form of tumor found in females. It occurs mainly during the middle or later reproductive age in females.
Fibroids may grow as a single tumor or in multiple numbers as in clusters. Unlike its name it contains muscles and not fibroid tissues. It occurs in approximately 25% women and can lead to hysterectomy.
Uterine leiomyomas, commonly known as fibroids, are well-circumscribed, non-cancerous tumors arising from the myometrium (smooth muscle layer) of the uterus. In addition to smooth muscle, leiomyomas are also composed of extracellular matrix (i.e., collagen, proteoglycan, fibronectin). Other names for these tumors include fibromyomas, fibromas, myofibromas, and myomas.
Leiomyomas are the most common solid pelvic tumor in women, causing symptoms in approximately 25% of reproductive age women. However, with careful pathologic inspection of the uterus, the overall prevalence of leiomyomas increases to over 70%, because leiomyomas can be present but not symptomatic in many women. The average affected uterus has six to seven fibroids.
