Uterine fibroids are also called fibroids. This disease is a benign tumor that occurs in women as a result of exposure to many factors - hormonal disruptions, genetic predisposition, irregular sex life. After mechanical damage, as a result of abortions and curettage, uterine fibroids can also develop. Removal, the consequences of such surgical intervention are issues that interest many women who have heard this diagnosis.
The predisposition to the disease depends on the general state of health and hormonal levels. Basically, myoma is found in women from 35 to 50 years old. At this age, unfortunately, such a diagnosis is not uncommon. However, in recent years he has become significantly younger - even women younger than 30 have uterine fibroids. Removal, the consequences of surgical intervention, conservative treatment of the disease - the topics are quite serious.
Symptoms
In the initial stage, this disease has practically no symptoms. When the size of the myomatous nodes is still small, it is possible to diagnose myoma only by chance - at a reception at the gynecologist during examination or during an ultrasound examination. Nevertheless, there are a number of some signs that should alert a woman - these include constant aching pain in the lower abdomen, painful and very heavy menstruation, impaired function of neighboring organs. For example, fibroids can cause discomfort to the intestines or bladder - then you should pay attention to chronic constipation or problems with urination. Often these symptoms are taken as a normal option, and the woman does not suspect a tumor or does not turn to a gynecologist with problems, but to a proctologist or nephrologist.
Types of fibroids
Uterine fibroids are usually divided into three different types, depending on its location. If the myomatous node is located outside the walls of the uterus on its outer side and grows in the abdominal cavity, such a myoma is called subserous. Submucous myoma is an intrauterine tumor that deforms the uterus and changes its internal cavity. Interstitial myoma is located in the walls of the uterus, it is also called intramural.
Treatment
At the first stage, treatment of fibroids is much simpler than in the case of an advanced disease. Hormone therapy is usually recommended for patients. There are a number of drugs that are most often prescribed by doctors when diagnosing fibroids. These include Danazol, Gestrinon and other drugs - derivatives of androgens. Such hormonal drugs inhibit the synthesis of steroid hormones in the ovaries, and when they are exposed, tumor growth slows significantly. Another group used in the treatment of fibroids includes progestogens - drugs "Dufaston", "Utrozhestan". They slow down the growth of the endometrium. In the presence of uterine fibroids, this is quite effective. All hormonal drugs are prescribed for a long time, usually the course of treatment is about 8 months.
Such treatment is indicated if the fibroids are relatively small - up to 12 weeks. Its value is of great importance when choosing a treatment, it is measured depending on the size of the uterus - as during pregnancy, in weeks. That is, in the patient’s card, in addition to the diagnosis of “myoma”, the size of the uterus, typical for pregnancy at a certain time, appears - up to 12 weeks, for example. This approach is caused by the need for accurate measurement of the tumor.
Another effective treatment method is the Mirena spiral. This is a hormonal intrauterine device, which is set by a doctor for a period of 5 years. It has two functions - the treatment of myomatous nodes by constantly releasing hormones and protecting against unwanted pregnancy. The installation of the spiral is effective only in the presence of fibroids located in the uterine cavity. If it is subserous, that is, growing from the outside of the uterus into the abdominal cavity, spiral treatment will be ineffective.
Combined oral contraceptives also have an effect, helping to stop the growth of fibroids, but only if the disease is diagnosed early, and the size of the node does not exceed 2 cm.
Surgical treatment: uterine fibroids
Removal, the consequences of such an operation is a topic for a serious conversation with a doctor. There are cases when it is ineffective to treat uterine fibroids with hormones, then doctors recommend resorting to surgery. Indications for the operation may be as follows:
- Large fibroids (when the size of the uterus is more than 12 weeks of pregnancy).
- Rapid tumor growth - in these cases, various complications are possible, and the operation cannot be delayed.
- Miscarriage and infertility - if the patient is of reproductive age, the presence of fibroids can interfere with the normal course of pregnancy and childbirth. Then the tumor is best removed so that pregnancy and childbirth go away without complications.
- Ovarian tumor that develops in parallel with uterine myoma.
Surgery involves removal of the tumor. Reviews about such operations are different, it all depends on the individual characteristics of the body and the result. Surgical intervention for myoma can be different depending on the age of the patient, the size of the tumor, the general health of the woman. Conservative myomectomy is only the removal of uterine fibroids, the healthy part is preserved. Such operations are done to women of reproductive age who plan to have children in the future. Hysteroresectoscopy is the removal of fibroids from the internal cavity of the uterus. Hysterectomy - complete removal of the uterus. This is a cardinal method, since the absence of an organ leads to the absence of problems with it. Such operations are performed only if other methods of removing the tumor are not suitable, or only if the age of the patient suggests that the ability to have children is no longer important. A hysterectomy leads to infertility, but allows a woman to live a sex life, experience sexual desire and pleasure. In recent years, more and more doctors have resorted to such a procedure as uterine artery embolization. A special drug is injected into the vessels of the uterus. It clogs blood vessels, blood does not enter the myomatous nodes and their death occurs. This is a relatively gentle way to treat fibroids, which is recommended for women planning to have children after treatment.
The consequences of surgery
Any surgical operation does not pass without a trace for the body, and the consequences can be different. After the operation, hormonal agents are most often prescribed to patients - this is done so that the myoma does not appear again. If the cause of the tumor was a hormonal failure, taking the appropriate drugs will help to avoid relapse. It is imperative to conduct an examination and find out the causes of the disease, if this is not done, then uterine fibroids will reappear.
Removal, consequences of the operation (rehabilitation) - these topics are of interest to many women and are actively discussed in the forums. In cases where the uterus was removed by surgery, one of the types of complications is the increased risk of breast cancer. The obvious consequence of hysterectomy is infertility. When the uterus is not completely removed, menstruation can continue, but more often they will be scarce.
Often the consequence of surgery is infection of the genital organs. In general, the most terrible consequence of uterine fibroids is oncology. Uterine fibroids are a benign tumor, its transformation into a malignant one is extremely rare, and yet such cases do occur. It is better to know about this and try to cure fibroids as soon as possible.
Recommendations after treatment
The recovery period after an operation such as removal of uterine fibroids (patient reviews confirm this) is practically no different from rehabilitation after any other surgical intervention. It is usually recommended to take multivitamins to support the body, eat right and eat more protein foods. Physical activity is contraindicated in the first 3-4 months, but little by little walking and moving is still useful. One of the contraindications during the recovery period is the thermal effect: you should avoid visiting the baths and saunas, tanning beds. You can not sunbathe and generally should limit exposure to the sun.