Treating Uterine Fibroids
Q: I have a 40-year-old friend who is having big problems
with fibroids. Her doctor has given her 3 options: taking a drug that will imitate
menopause and might reduce the fibroids, removing the fibroid that is causing
the problem, or having a hysterectomy.
None of these seem very good options; do you have anything else to add? She
is at the end of her ability to cope and I am hoping someone might be able to
help.
--S.A.
Dr. Donnica: Sorry to hear about your friend and her problem with
fibroids. More important than her age is whether she wants to preserve her ability
to bear children. If she is sure that she does not want to preserve this
ability, then there is another option other than hysterectomy DEPENDING upon
the exact size and location of the fibroids -- a minimally invasive, non-surgical
procedure called "uterine artery embolization" (UAE). This procedure is
performed by an interventional radiologist, not a gynecologist. For more
information on fibroids and various treatment options, click here.
Donnica Moore MD
President, DrDonnica.com
Created: 9/25/2002 - Donnica Moore, M.D.
|
