Uterine Fibroids

by Harpreet Singh

Symptoms
Most women who have fibroids don’t have any symptoms, but sometimes the location, size and number of fibroids can cause some symptoms, which include:

  • Heavy menstrual bleeding
  • Menstrual periods that last for more than a week
  • Pelvic pain or pressure
  • Frequent urination
  • Constipation
  • Backache or leg pain
  • Rarely, acute pain when it outgrows its blood supply and begins to die

Causes
The exact cause of uterine fibroids is unknown, but these are the factors that stand out:

  • Genetic changes: The genes of normal uterine muscles and many fibroids are different.
  • Hormones: Oestrogen and progesterone, the two hormones responsible for menstrual cycle, appear to promote the growth of fibroids. Fibroids shrink after menopause.
  • Other growth factors: Substances that help the body maintain tissues, such as insulin growth factor, may affect fibroid growth.

Treatment
Many treatment options exist for uterine fibroids. Our gynaecologists and obstetricians can advise you with options to help make the correct decision for yourself. These include:

  • Watchful waiting
  • Medications and devices, like gonadotropin-releasing hormone (Gn-RH) agonists, progestin-releasing intrauterine device and tranexamic acid
  • Non-invasive procedures like MRI-guided focused ultrasound surgery (FUS)
  • Minimally invasive procedures like uterine artery embolization, myolysis, laparoscopic myomectomy, hysteroscopic myomectomy and endometrial ablation
  • Traditional surgical procedures like abdominal myomectomy or hysterectomy

Our panel of experienced obstetricians and gynaecologists can guide you through a comprehensive treatment starting right from diagnosis to recovery.

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