Fibroid is a non-cancerous growth arising from the muscle wall of the womb. It is one of the most common gynaecological conditions and is estimated to be present in about 20 - 30 per cent of women.
Most fibroids grow within the wall of the uterus. However, there are other fibroids such as -
Depending on the size and location of the fibroids, there may or may not be any symptoms. Fibroids can cause the following symptoms:
Uterine fibroids can be diagnosed by pelvic examination and ultrasound scans.
The treatment depends on the women's age, desire for further childbearing, the size of the fibroids, her symptoms and their severity.
If a woman has uterine fibroids, but has no symptoms she may not need any treatment. However a regular check-up is required to see if the fibroids have grown. Fibroids are hormone dependant and hence usually decrease in size after menopause.
If the fibroid gives rise to mild symptoms of pain, your doctor may suggest pain-relievers.
Certain hormonal medications can reduce the bleeding during menses. Other drugs like GnRh-analogues can be used temporarily for symptom relief or to reduce the size of the fibroid before surgery. Mirena coil can be used in some cases to reduce the bleeding during menses.
Those fibroids that are giving rise to severe symptoms, are big or growing in size, need to be treated surgically. Surgery involves either removing the fibroids (myomectomy) or the entire womb (hysterectomy). Both procedures can be performed by the laparoscopic approach as well as by the conventional open surgery depending on the size of the fibroid, its location, the doctors' experience and training.
Certain other treatments are now being tried, such as uterine artery embolization, which involves cutting off the blood supply of the fibroids under X-ray guidance.
Click here to access our Find A Doctor directory for a list of doctors treating this condition across our NUHS institutions.
