Fibroid Treatment Options: From Medication to Surgery

Uterine fibroid management is done using a series of treatments. It includes medications, lifestyle and dietary changes, noninvasive treatments, and surgeries. Based on the severity of your condition, your age, and overall health, doctors create a personalized fibroid treatment plan for you, combining the different treatments mentioned above. 

So, let’s review the important options of treatment for fibroids including fibroid removal options and fibroid therapy. You can talk to your doctors regarding the various treatment options and avail or visit MASSH for complete medical care and treatment of uterine fibroids.

Uterine Fibroid Treatment Options

Lifestyle & Dietary Changes

One of the first lines of treatment against uterine fibroids is lifestyle and dietary changes. These changes are easy to accommodate in your lifestyle and have the potential to help you aid your symptoms and work towards treating your condition. It is important to note that while lifestyle and dietary changes can help, they are not enough to completely treat the underlying condition on their own. 

Other treatments like medications are required to expedite and complete the treatment process. With that being said, here are some of the most common lifestyle and dietary changes recommended for patients with uterine fibroids.

• Keep away from consuming excessive dairy. Studies have shown that consuming dairy in excess can potentially increase your risk of getting uterine fibroids. This is especially true for patients with a high intake of high-fat dairy products regularly.
   
• Choose anti-inflammatory food items like berries, fish like salmon, ginger, and green tea. These antioxidant-rich food items can help alleviate inflammation and symptoms of uterine fibroids.
   
• Limit caffeine and alcohol in your diet. Caffeine and alcohol both have the potential to worsen your symptoms if you already have them. Similarly, if you don’t already have fibroids, it has the potential to increase your risk factors.
   
• Manage everyday stress. Stress is one of the biggest contributors to the development of fibroid symptoms. Try opting for stress-relieving lifestyle habits like exercising, meditation, and yoga. Even taking the time to take deep breaths during your day can help alleviate the symptoms of stress.
   
• Exercise regularly to maintain a healthy body weight. Obesity has been linked with an increased risk of uterine fibroids. So, working on exercising to keep yourself in better shape is one of the best ways to alleviate symptoms and stay safe against fibroids.

Medications For Uterine Fibroid

Medications are highly effective against uterine fibroids and can help manage the condition quite well in combination with lifestyle and dietary changes. Both oral and injectable medications are used to manage uterine fibroids based on the symptoms.

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists cause estrogen and progesterone levels to drop. These medications help with shrinking the fibroids. Examples of GnRH agonists include leuprolide acetate. These medications will eventually put a stop to menstruation temporarily and in the process shrink the fibroids. These medicines stop the body from producing follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone. Here are some of the most common GnRH agonist medications used.

• Fyremadel (ganirelix acetate) this medicine is an injectable drug
• Cetrotide (cetrorelix acetate) this medicine is an injectable drug
• Oriahnn (elagolix/estradiol/norethindrone acetate) this is an oral drug

There are other medications apart from GnRH agonists that work towards managing the other symptoms of fibroids. These medications are not tasked with helping shrink the fibroids but can help control the excessive bleeding and manage pain.

• Intrauterine devices (IUDs) that release the hormone progestin.
• Birth control pills 
• Anti-inflammatory and pain relieving medications both prescription and over-the-counter examples include (Advil, ibuprofen, and Motrin) and naproxen (Anaprox DS, Aleve).

Noninvasive Treatments for Uterine Fibroid

There have been several advancements in the field of non-invasive treatments for uterine fibroids. Today there are a number of treatment options for patients that can help them treat their fibroids without any incisions made in their body. Here are some of the most popular non-invasive treatment options for uterine fibroid.

• Uterine Fibroid Embolization: This procedure involves inserting small particles inside the uterus through the vagina. The purpose of the particles is to cut off the blood supply of the fibroid, which would force them to shrink.
   
• Forced Ultrasound: This is a non-invasive procedure that uses an MRI machine. High-frequency sound waves are directed at the fibroid to ablate and destroy them. The patients are put inside an MRI machine to get a live view of the fibroids and then the sound frequencies are used to target the located fibroids.
   
• Endometrial Ablation: This procedure is noninvasive and uses the skills of a healthcare professional. Special medical devices are inserted into the uterus through the vagina to destroy the uterine lining. This is done using heat, extreme cold, electric current, or hot water. Once the uterine lining is destroyed, it ablates the fibroids present and helps treat the condition.

Surgical Treatment For Uterine Fibroids

The most common surgical procedure used for the treatment of uterine fibroids is myomectomy. This procedure can be performed both as an open surgery and laparoscopically. Surgery is one of the most effective treatment options for uterine fibroids. Let’s review the two most commonly used uterine fibroid surgical methods.

Open Myomectomy: Open myomectomy is a surgical procedure used for the treatment of uterine fibroids. The surgery involves making a large incision in the abdomen and accessing the uterus from the outside of the body. The fibroids are then removed by visually locating them and cutting them out of the uterus. The incision is then closed with sutures to complete the procedure. This surgery is effective and utilized in cases of the most complex or large uterine fibroids. Open myomectomy also has certain risks like infections and bleeding.

Laparoscopic Myomectomy: Laparoscopic myomectomy is similar to open surgery with the only difference being the procedure of the surgery and the risks involved. The laparoscopic surgery is performed by making small incisions in the abdomen and inserting surgical tools including a camera to get visuals inside the body. This type of surgery is very precise and the risk of damage to surrounding structures is minimal in the case of laparoscopic myomectomy. The recovery time as well as the other surgical risks of this procedure are also minimal making it the safer choice among all surgical options for uterine fibroids.

In some cases, doctors may even recommend patients to get a hysterectomy if they are unresponsive to other treatments and even surgeries can’t stop the resurgence of fibroids.

Conclusion

These are the treatment options for uterine fibroids that are most commonly used today. It is important to know that help is available and a variety of treatment options for all types of fibroids is easily available today. So, be sure to be vigilant of your symptoms and get regular gynecological checkups to ensure you are safe and healthy. To learn more about uterine fibroid treatment at MASSH, check out our website or visit us today. Our holistic medical care can help you treat your conditions from the root and help you recover quickly.