Category: Fibroids

Am I a candidate for myomectomy for fibroids? The answer depends on several factors. If you have symptomatic fibroids, meaning painful periods and heavy bleeding, you could be a candidate for myomectomy. If you want to have children in the future, myomectomy may be the procedure to relieve your fibroid symptoms and still keep your uterus. Keep reading to find out about the types of myomectomy and which might be best for you.

It’s All About the Fibroids

Many women have no symptoms of fibroids and need no intervention unless that changes.

For those who do suffer from symptoms, how many symptomatic fibroids you have, their size, and their location all contribute to being a good candidate for a myomectomy. If you want to keep your uterus intact, this can be accomplished with a myomectomy.

Fibroids are benign growths made of tissue and muscle that can grow inside the muscle of the uterus or even elsewhere in the pelvis. A myomectomy removes only the fibroids and leaves the uterus, so a woman can conceive in the future.

Types of Myomectomies

There are several types of surgical procedures available to remove fibroids, a few being minimally invasive. Once Dr. Meaux has determined how many fibroids there are, and their location, you may get a recommendation for which is best for you.

Minimally Invasive Hysteroscopic Myomectomy

This type is best for mucosal fibroids.

The surgeon inserts a thin lighted scope into the vagina and through the cervix to the uterus. A liquid will follow in order to see the fibroids more clearly. Then each fibroid will be shaved off or excised. Next the liquid will wash out the remaining fibroid pieces. This procedure may require general anesthesia depending on clinical findings.

You can go home the same day. Recovery can be just a few days.

Minimally Invasive Laparoscopic Myomectomy

This type is performed under general anesthesia. Very small incisions are made in the abdomen for ports to be placed, with a lighted camera, called a laparoscope, inserted into one. Surgical instruments are then placed in the other ports to perform the procedure. The fibroids, once resected, are cut into smaller pieces to be removed.

Robotic assistance may be used in these cases in order to facilitate the surgery. And for those surgeons who have received advanced robotic training, such as Dr. Meaux, some larger fibroids that would usually be removed via “open” surgery can now be removed minimally invasive resulting in quicker recovery times.

Patients may go home same-day or remain in the hospital one night. Recovery usually takes two to four weeks.

Abdominal Myomectomy

Also known as an “open” myomectomy, this procedure requires a larger incision to be made in the abdomen under general anesthesia. The incision type (side-to-side or up-and-down) is determined by the surgeon based on clinical findings/factors.  The surgeon then removes the fibroids from the uterine wall. This type may be chosen when fibroids are larger, more numerous, or when other clinical/surgical factors are present.

This type of procedure requires one to three days in the hospital. Recovery can take up to six weeks.

Final Thoughts

There is always a chance fibroids can grow back, especially if the patient is of younger age.

It’s important to discuss with Dr. Rachelle Meaux the best type of myomectomy for you.

Most women will get relief from the symptoms of fibroids after a myomectomy.