Fibroids Treatment and Menopause
“I’ve been told that I have fibroids and now I need surgery – but I have stopped menstruating”.
When it comes to making a decision on how to treat your fibroids, there are many options available. In this article, we will talk about fibroids and menopause as well as the hysterectomy alternative treatment for fibroids, which is the non-surgical treatment for fibroids
So what are fibroids? Well, they are non-cancerous growths of muscle that grow in the womb (uterus). The can grow inside the womb (uterus), inside the wall of the womb (uterus) or on the outside of the womb (uterus). They almost never cause or become cancer.
How do I know if I have fibroids? Do you suffer from any of these symptoms?
- Heavy menstrual bleeding, passing clots
- Prolonged menstrual periods
- Pelvic pressure or pain, bloating
- Frequent urination
- Difficulty emptying your bladder
- Constipation
- A backache or leg pains
Once the fibroids are confirmed by your Doctor after doing an ultrasound scan you can start to think about fibroid treatment options.
Most importantly, if you have stopped menstruating, have you considered that you might have reached the menopause?
What is menopause – it is that time in a woman’s life when her hormones, especially oestrogen, start becoming less. This means that her menstrual period will stop, she might get ‘moody’, have hot flushes.
This is very important to understand – fibroids will start to shrink after menopause! If you have been advised to have surgery on the fibroids ensure that you are not in the menopause – there might be something else causing the problems!!
What are the Risks of Fibroid Treatment – Surgery or Non-Surgical Treatment?
Surgical Treatment
This type of treatment is known as hysterectomy (surgical removal of the uterus) or myomectomy which is the surgical removal of the fibroids and some uterine tissue.
Non-Surgical Treatment
This type of fibroid treatment is known as fibroid embolization, it is gentler and less invasive and retains the intact uterus. There is minimum hospital time(24hrs), no surgical scar and normal life can be returned to within days.
Menopause After Fibroid Treatment
Can I develop menopause after fibroid treatment?
The answer is yes, albeit a very low risk, and this might affect your choice of how to have your fibroids treated.
At the moment, the evidence is consistent that there is a <4% chance of developing some form of poor ovary function after surgery or embolization.
For more informtion on Fibroids Treatments contact Doctors Treating Fibroids