Pain and discomfort from fibroids can prevent you from living your life to the fullest. If you’re unable to exercise, work, or leave the house, the doctors at Virtuosa GYN want to help. They have decades of experience as OB/GYNs and provide compassionate care for women in San Antonio, Texas. At Virtuosa GYN, you’re treated with dedication and understanding. This practice has many conservative options available to reduce your fibroid symptoms. Call or schedule your consultation online today.
Fibroids are firm, compact tumors made of muscle cells lining the uterus. In 99% of cases, fibroids are benign, or noncancerous. Up to 70% of women have fibroids. These tumors can be the size of a pea or as large as a grapefruit.
You may not know they have fibroids, or you might already suffer from one or more of the following symptoms:
During the examination, your doctor checks for the presence of a firm mass, often located near the center of the pelvis, which indicates the possible presence of a fibroid.
The exact cause of fibroids is unknown, but researchers suspect that estrogen has a role in the growth of aberrant muscle cells that enlarge to become fibroids.
Women who are approaching menopause, overweight, or of African-American heritage have an elevated risk of developing fibroids.
Your doctor finds firm, irregular masses during your routine pelvic exam. Along with your history, symptoms, and examination, she orders a series of diagnostic tests, as needed. These tests may include X-rays, transvaginal ultrasound, an MRI, hysterosalpingography, hysteroscopy, endometrial biopsy, and a blood test.
Your doctor rules out other causes, such as anemia or other tumors, before making a diagnosis.
Nonsurgical options for fibroids include medications, like gonadotropin-releasing hormones (GnRH agonists), anti-hormonal agents, and anti-inflammatory pain relievers.
Other conservative treatments include minimally invasive options, like myomectomies and the Accesa™ procedure. Both of these options remove fibroids and spare your uterus, that is, avoid a hysterectomy.
During a myomectomy, the doctors at Virtuosa GYN utilize laparoscopic robotic surgery to remove smaller or less invasive fibroids.
During the Accesa procedure, your doctor makes tiny incisions in your abdomen and then inserts a miniature handpiece that shrinks fibroids using radiofrequency ablation. The Acessa procedure is an outpatient surgery, so you can go home the same day and return to work within one week.
If you've completed your family and your fibroid symptoms are severe, your doctor performs a minimally invasive hysterectomy with the da Vinci® robotic system.
If you're suffering from fibroids, there’s a solution for you at Virtuosa GYN. Call or schedule a consultation online now.
