What is uterine fibroids? Uterine fibroids are the most common benign tumors of the female reproductive organs and one of the most common tumors in the body. It is caused by the proliferation of smooth muscle tissue in the myometrium, with some fibrous tissue in it. A typical uterine fibroid is a substantial spherical nodule with a smooth surface and a pseudo-envelope on the surface of the fibroid, so it is easily peeled away from the surrounding muscle tissue with obvious disintegration. How does it occur? Most people believe that uterine fibroids originate from smooth muscle cells of the uterus, while others believe that they originate from smooth muscle cells of the vascular wall within the myometrium; the cause of its pathogenesis is still unclear, and after a lot of clinical and experimental research, it is now more certain that it is closely related to the long-term stimulation of high estrogen levels, and has obvious relationships with heredity and ethnicity, as it tends to occur in women of reproductive age, before sexual maturity and after menopause. At the same time, doctors also found that women with uterine fibroids are often combined with other diseases of the ovaries and uterus, which is also related to the endocrine function of the ovaries; in recent years, there are some new theories, such as the belief that uterine fibroids are polygenic clonal tumors, the role of multiple growth factors in promoting the occurrence of uterine fibroids, the receptor theory, etc. How does it affect the body? Not all fibroids have an effect on the human body. The magnitude of the effect on the human body is mainly related to the location of the fibroids, followed by the size of the fibroids, and the number of fibroids and whether they are degenerative. Uterine fibroids are divided into subplasmic fibroids (about 20%), interstitial fibroids (about 60-70%), and submucosal fibroids (about 10-15%) according to the location of their growth. Symptoms mainly include increased menstruation, disorder, abdominal pain, lumbago, lower abdominal swelling, increased leucorrhea, pressure on the bladder leading to frequent urination, urinary urgency, pressure on the rectum leading to difficulty in defecation, secondary anemia, infertility, etc.; submucosal leiomyosarcoma often has excessive menstruation, shortened cycle, prolonged menstruation, frequent dripping of the month, irregular bleeding or even discharge of pus and blood when the leiomyosarcoma is large or infected; subplasmic leiomyosarcoma and small intermural leiomyosarcoma Subplasma fibroids and small interstitial fibroids often have no clinical symptoms and are called asymptomatic fibroids, which have little effect on the human body, but with the increase in the size and number of fibroids, the above symptoms may appear. How to check for fibroids? Fibroids are more common in women between the ages of 30 and 50 and rarely occur in women under the age of 20 and over 60. Women of childbearing age should have regular gynecological checkups, at least once a year. Once symptoms such as abnormal menstruation and lower abdominal pain appear, they should go to the hospital for gynecological examination and ultrasound examination, which are usually easier to diagnose. How to treat uterine fibroids? There are two clinical scenarios: symptomatic fibroids and asymptomatic fibroids. The former need immediate treatment, while the latter are decided by the doctor according to the patient’s age, the growth site of the fibroids, the number of fibroids, whether they are combined with other pelvic diseases such as ovarian tumors, endometriosis, and whether the patient wants to have children or not. What is the effect on the patient’s body after total hysterectomy? Unless necessary, doctors try to preserve both ovaries because they are important endocrine organs for women and play an important role in maintaining endocrine and sexual functions; however, despite preserving the ovaries, after hysterectomy, the blood flow supplying and nourishing the ovaries is affected because the uterine arteries are cut off, resulting in ovarian insufficiency and possible early onset of menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, excessive sweating, irritability, etc. According to statistics, the age of ovarian failure after hysterectomy, that is, the age of aging, is on average 4 years earlier than that of women without hysterectomy. Due to the decrease of ovarian endocrine function and estrogen secretion, coupled with the decrease of vaginal secretion after hysterectomy, vaginal dryness and discomfort during sexual intercourse may occur, and the shortening of the vagina after hysterectomy may also have an effect on sexual desire.