What should I do if I have uterine fibroids?

  Uterine fibroids are the most common benign tumors in gynecology, mostly found in women aged 30-50 years old, with 0.4-0.8% of them turning into malignant tumors. According to statistics, about 20% of women over 30 years old have fibroids, and it is not uncommon to find fibroids in women under 30 years old or even unmarried clinically.  Uterine fibroids are mostly asymptomatic, and many patients only find them by chance during physical examinations, or occasionally they may touch a lump in their lower abdomen. Uterine fibroids are usually classified as interstitial fibroids, submucosal fibroids, subplasmic fibroids, and cervical fibroids. The symptoms of fibroids are mostly increased menstrual flow, prolonged periods, increased leucorrhea and some non-specific symptoms: lower abdominal cramps, back pain, abnormal urination and defecation. Of course, fibroids are also an important factor in infertility and miscarriage in women.  Usually, we can diagnose fibroids initially with the help of gynecological examination and ultrasound, while smaller submucosal fibroids can sometimes be diagnosed with the help of hysteroscopy.  With the development of medicine, there are many treatment options for fibroids, but the treatment of fibroids should be based on the patient’s age, fertility requirements and the location, size and number of fibroids before deciding on a specific treatment plan.  There is no doubt that surgery is the most effective way to treat fibroids. In addition to conventional open or transvaginal removal of fibroids or the whole uterus, many hospitals have developed minimally invasive surgical methods to remove fibroids using laparoscopy or hysteroscopy or to remove the whole uterus or sub-total uterus using laparoscopy. By using laparoscopy and hysteroscopy, patients will not have any surgical incisions in the abdomen, and it can also reduce the pain and recovery time after surgery.  In general, removal of fibroids is suitable for patients with a small number of fibroids who require preservation of the uterus, while total or subtotal hysterectomy is appropriate for patients with large, numerous fibroids who do not require preservation of the uterus.  Pharmacological treatment of fibroids can be divided into Western medicine and Chinese medicine. Western drug therapy includes the use of gonadotropin analogs (GnRHa), androgens, mifepristone, etc., which can result in significant reduction of fibroids in 3-6 months of application. Some patients may experience side effects associated with the application of these drugs, and therefore only short-term preoperative application is recommended for these patients. Long-term use of herbal medicines can slow down the growth of fibroids, but the efficacy varies greatly due to the different herbal formulas used by each herbalist.  In addition to the use of surgery or drugs to treat fibroids, many hospitals in China have also developed interventional treatments for fibroids in the last decade or so, which can result in significant reduction of fibroids after treatment. Some patients may experience short-term discomfort such as fever and abdominal pain after treatment, but there is no major problem. Our hospital is also equipped to perform interventional treatment for fibroids.  Uterine fibroids are a common gynecological disease, and our hospital has carried out various domestic and foreign measures to treat them. Patients are welcome to come for consultation to choose the most suitable treatment plan for them.