According to the National Institutes of Health, up to 80% of women in the United States develop uterine fibroids that can cause severely heavy menstrual flow, cramps, and infertility. Even though fibroids are benign growths, when you’re troubled by their symptoms, the experts at The Women’s Centre in Denton, Texas can shrink or remove them. If you’re ready for relief from disruptive fibroid symptoms, book a consultation with the medical professionals at The Women’s Centre by phone or online appointment form.
Fibroids are benign (non-cancerous) tumors that grow inside or outside of your uterus. Fibroids are composed of smooth muscle cells and fibrous connective tissue.
Even though some fibroids start small, they can increase and decrease in size according to your hormonal fluctuations. Fibroids may arise in clusters. Some can grow to the size of a grapefruit or even larger. Larger fibroids may press on your bladder, which can cause you to urinate more frequently.
Uterine fibroids are common. Up to 70% of Caucasian women and up to 80% of African-American women develop at least one fibroid by age 50. You may be more likely to get fibroids if:
Lifestyle choices that may increase your risk include:
Some uterine fibroids are asymptomatic, particularly when they’re small. If your fibroids cause symptoms, you may experience:
The medical professionals at The Women’s Centre start with the least invasive therapies for uterine fibroids. You can manage the discomfort of fibroids simply by taking over-the-counter pain medications, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
If you’re not currently trying to become pregnant, your doctor may recommend oral contraceptives that decrease your estrogen levels. You could also opt for an intrauterine device (IUD) that releases the hormone progestin. These measures alleviate fibroid symptoms and prevent pregnancy.
Your doctor may try to shrink the fibroids with Lupron or other drugs. If your fibroids don’t respond to first-line treatments, Dr. Suhas Mantri can remove them surgically. Depending on their location and size, he may recommend the da Vinci® robot-assisted surgical system to facilitate removal and decrease your recovery time.
When you’d like relief from fibroid symptoms or want to improve your chances of conception, contact Dr. Mantri at The Women’s Centre. You can reach his caring staff by phone or online appointment form.
