Read up on Fibroids treatment options at Consumer Reports Health.

Fibroids

Key points about treatments

Fibroids are lumps that grow in your womb. They aren't cancer and they don't turn into cancer. In fact, they're usually harmless. But they can cause heavy or painful periods or a feeling of fullness or discomfort in your pelvis.

If you have fibroids and they're causing problems, you have a choice of good treatments. The ones that work best involve surgery. But if you're getting close to

menopause
When a woman stops having periods, it is called menopause. This usually happens around the age of 50.

menopause, you may choose to wait. Fibroids usually get better on their own at that time.

Key points about treating fibroids

Your fibroids can be treated with hormone treatments, surgery or both.
Hormone treatments will probably make your fibroids shrink and help your symptoms, but they have side effects. You can't take them for more than six months, and your fibroids will probably grow back afterward.
You can have surgery to take out just your fibroids (a myomectomy) or surgery to take out your womb (a hysterectomy), with the fibroids in it.
Taking hormone treatments before surgery may make these operations easier.
Fibroids don't usually grow back after a myomectomy. But they may be more likely to reappear if you have hormone treatment before this operation.
You'll have less pain after keyhole surgery to remove your fibroids (laparoscopic myomectomy) than after an operation that is done through a bigger cut (abdominal myomectomy). You should recover faster, too.
Your fibroids won't grow back after a hysterectomy. But it's a big operation and you can't have children afterward.

This information was last updated on May 12, 2009

This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment.
© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2009. All rights reserved.

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