Hysterectomy Alternatives

Diagnosis and Watchful Waiting
If your fibroids do not cause symptoms, there is no need to treat them. Your doctor may want to watch them and monitor for any fibroid growth at each of your annual examinations. Some women may have fibroids, but not experience symptoms.

If you begin to experience, or have been experiencing, some or many of the symptoms of fibroids previously indicated, there are several hysterectomy alternatives and other fibroid treatment options that may be available to you. These include drug therapies, minimally invasive non-surgical options, and surgical options. Your doctor should discuss all the alternative treatments for fibroids with you based on your condition.

Pharmaceutical Fibroid Tumor Treatments
Birth control pills - many physicians will prescribe birth control pills as a means of controlling excessive menstrual bleeding caused by fibroids. Other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents (NSAIDs) may be prescribed for pain relief. Birth control pills effectively trick your body into thinking it is pregnant. There are several potential side effects of the use of birth control pills, including risk of high blood pressure, development of blood clots, increased risk of heart disease, and/or liver disease. Data suggests that fibroids may re-grow after this treatment ends.

GnRH Agonists - can be prescribed by physicians when the symptoms of fibroids are not controlled by birth control pills, or can be prescribed as a first attempt in controlling fibroid symptoms. GnRH agonists are used to decrease the production of estrogen in the ovaries, which may reduce the size of fibroids and help manage the associated symptoms. Because of the decrease in estrogen production, there may be some side effects, such as hot flashes or mood swings. Furthermore, there may be some bone loss associated with prolonged use of GnRH agonists. In addition, data suggests that fibroids may re-grow after this treatment ends.

All considerations toward the treatment for fibroids or symptom relief should be discussed with your primary care provider or OB/Gyn.  Please take a moment to review the informational resources and guides we have to offer on talking to your OB/GYN and being prepared for your first consultation.

Surgical Treatments
Hysterectomy is defined as the "surgical removal of the uterus" (womb). It is one of the most common of all surgical procedures and can also involve the removal of the fallopian tubes, ovaries and cervix, and used to be the primary treatment for fibroids. Following this operation you will no longer have periods, nor will you be fertile or be able to have any more children.

There are two main ways to perform a hysterectomy. The most common way is to remove the uterus through an incision in the lower abdomen. The second and less common way, is to remove the uterus through a cut in the top of the vagina, then the top of the vagina is stitched. Each operation lasts between one to two hours and is performed in the hospital under a general anesthesia

There are different types of hysterectomy:

• A "total hysterectomy" removes the complete uterus including the cervix. This is the operation most commonly performed.
• A "subtotal hysterectomy" removes the uterus leaving the cervix in place. If you have this operation you will need to continue to have Pap smear tests.
• A "total hysterectomy with a bilateral or unilateral oopherectomy" removes the uterus, cervix, fallopian tubes and both or one of the ovaries. If you have not had your ovaries removed and you have not gone through menopause before your operation, there is a 50% chance that you will go through menopause within 5 years of having this operation.

Physically there are a number of issues that are common to all women having a hysterectomy. You will not have any more periods and you will not be able to have any more children. If you have had your ovaries removed you will go through menopause regardless of your age. Menopause is not related to age, it is related to the production of the female sex hormone, estrogen. Your physician should discuss Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) with you to help you understand the pros and cons of HRT.

Myomectomy - is a  surgical treatment for fibroids and includes the removal of the fibroids themselves. While this procedure keeps your uterus intact, it can be a surgically challenging procedure and is not performed by all physicians. In addition, only certain fibroids may be treated with this therapy. An abdominal myomectomy is performed through a horizontal incision through the abdomen, similar to a "bikini cut" used in a cesarean section. Most types of fibroids, even very large ones, can be removed in an abdominal myomectomy. The recovery time varies with each patient, but typically is 4-6 weeks in length. Pedunculated and subserosal fibroids can be removed via a laproscopic myomectomy, which is performed through three small incisions. When a resectoscope is used to remove submucosal fibroids, this is called a hysteroscopic resection. The use of a resectoscope requires proper training by the physician prior to use.

Please take a moment to continue browsing our site for more information on hysterectomy alternatives, their common symptoms, and uterine fibroid embolization as an alternative to a hysterectomy procedure.