Up to 80% of women experience fibroids during their reproductive lifetime. At Modern OBGYN Care, experienced OB/GYNs, Dr. Marcela Torres and Dr. Miguel Torres, provide compassionate, patient-centered care for fibroids, focusing on what’s best for each woman’s needs.
Although there are nonsurgical fibroid management options, they aren’t adequate for some women. That’s why we offer comprehensive fibroid care, from patient education to all types of fibroid treatments. Here’s what you should know about what fibroids are, how to manage them, and when to consider surgery.
Fibroids are benign (noncancerous) growths that can develop inside or on the uterus. They’re made of muscle, fibrous connective tissue, and thick strands of collagen. Many fibroids are tiny, about the size of a single fruit seed.
Other fibroids continue to grow and become large enough to fill a significant portion of the uterus or even expand it. They can grow as large as a watermelon in severe cases.
When fibroids grow quite large, they can pressure nearby abdominal organs. This can lead to:
In addition, fibroids can cause serious fertility problems, making it difficult to conceive and increasing the risk of second-trimester pregnancy complications.
Not all fibroids require removal. Many women have small fibroids that cause little to no discomfort. In fact, many women only find out they have fibroids during ultrasound imaging tests for other reasons.
If you aren’t struggling with symptoms, your doctor at Modern OBGYN Care may recommend monitoring the fibroids over time.
If you have mild-to-moderate symptoms, you may need medication, hormonal therapy, and lifestyle changes to manage issues like heavy bleeding. Our OB/GYNs schedule regular checkups to assess fibroid size and ensure they aren’t growing fast or causing new issues.
For some women, fibroids eventually cause symptoms that become too difficult to manage with conservative treatments alone. If you’ve already tried nonsurgical care and your symptoms persist, disrupting your day-to-day quality of life, surgery could be the path to lasting relief.
Our doctors offer noninvasive options that may help you avoid major surgery.
For example, focused ultrasound surgery (FUS) is an MRI-guided procedure designed to destroy fibroids using a two-pronged approach of heat and sound waves. There are additional options, such as radiofrequency ablation, which uses heat to eliminate the fibroid.
If you need a myomectomy (surgical fibroid removal), our OB/GYNs often use advanced, minimally invasive laparoscopic or robotic approaches that require only tiny dime-sized incisions.
For women who have already completed their family building, preserving fertility often isn’t as much of a concern, which may lead to other options, like hysterectomy. This surgery removes the entire uterus, which means there’s no risk of the fibroids returning.
To learn more about your treatment options for fibroids, call Modern OBGYN Care in Pembroke Pines at 754-217-4181 to book your appointment.
