Menopause defeated

By: OBGYN Plano
A lot of women wonder just exactly what uterine fibroids are. Uterine fibroids can cause heavy bleeding, pain, and pelvic pain. They’re usually non-cancerous tumors that develop within the uterus, and 15-20 percent of women in their reproductive years and 30-40 percent of women older than 30 may suffer from uterine fibroids.

Why should women know about fibroids?

Uterine fibroids are the most prevalent pelvic tumor, but the cause of uterine fibroid tumors is unknown. Not all women with fibroids experience symptoms; however some women have pelvic pain and have significant menstrual bleeding. In addition, fibroids can place pressure on the bladder, triggering frequent urination.

Fibroids may grow as a single growth or in groups. Fibroids vary in size from very small to eight inches in diameter.  

The growth of a uterine fibroid typically depends on the hormone estrogen. Once a woman develops a uterine fibroid, the fibroid usually continues to grow throughout her menstruation years.

Women who do not experience symptoms associated with their fibroids may not require treatment. Fibroids may even shrink after menopause, but if heavy bleeding or if pelvic pain occurs, a hysterectomy may be required. Uterine fibroids are the main reason hysterectomies are performed.

What is a hysterectomy?

A hysterectomy involves surgically removing the uterus, and sometimes the cervix and/or ovaries and fallopian tubes are also removed.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, after cesarean section, hysterectomy is the second most frequently performed major surgical procedure for women of reproductive age in the United States. Approximately 600,000 hysterectomies are performed annually in the U.S., and an estimated 20 million U.S. women have had a hysterectomy.

Although some women are wary of having surgery to relieve symptoms because of the down time they may experience, new technology is available that enables the removal of uterine fibroids and hysterectomies to be performed less invasively, leading to shorter hospital stays. For a hysterectomy that may be difficult to perform as a vaginal procedure and would otherwise require an abdominal hysterectomy, the “da Vinci® Surgical System” offers an alternative.

This new robotic technology offers numerous potential benefits over traditional surgery, including less pain and scarring, less risk of infection, and faster recovery. It also may decrease the risk of blood loss that can occur during a hysterectomy. This new technology is available to Collin County and other area residents at Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano, located near President George Bush Turnpike and Preston Road.  

A member of the Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano medical staff, Daryl Greebon, M.D., gynecologist, graduated from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School. He went on to serve his internship and residency at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.