Myomectomy
What is Myomectomy? Myomectomy is a surgical procedure to remove uterine fibroids — noncancerous growths that often appear in your uterus during your childbearing years. The surgeon's goal during myomectomy is to take out symptom-causing fibroids and reconstruct the uterus. Unlike hysterectomy, which removes your entire uterus, myomectomy surgery removes only the fibroids and leaves your uterus intact.
Women who undergo myomectomy report improvement in fibroid symptoms, including heavy menstrual bleeding and pelvic pressure. In the hands of an experienced surgeon, myomectomy is safe and effective.
Why it is done?
Your doctor might recommend myomectomy for troublesome fibroids — that is, those in which symptoms are debilitating or interfere with your normal activities — if:
* You plan to bear children * Your doctor suspects uterine fibroids might be interfering with your fertility * You prefer to retain your uterus
Risks
Myomectomy has a low complication rate. Still, the procedure poses a unique set of challenges for your surgeon.
Risks of myomectomy include:
* Excessive blood loss. The uterus has a rich network of blood vessels, and fibroids stimulate growth of new vessels to obtain their own blood supply. So during myomectomy, surgeons must take extra steps to avoid excessive bleeding. These steps include blocking flow from the uterine arteries and injecting medications around fibroids to cause blood vessels to clamp down. Your doctor may also suggest steps to take to build up your blood count before surgery. * Scar tissue. Incisions into the uterus to remove fibroids can lead to adhesions — bands of scar tissue that may develop after surgery. Within the uterus, adhesions may block implantation of a fertilized egg in the uterine lining, but this rarely happens. Outside the uterus, adhesions could entangle neighboring structures and lead to a blocked fallopian tube or a trapped loop of intestine. * Development of new
Women who undergo myomectomy report improvement in fibroid symptoms, including heavy menstrual bleeding and pelvic pressure. In the hands of an experienced surgeon, myomectomy is safe and effective.
Why it is done?
Your doctor might recommend myomectomy for troublesome fibroids — that is, those in which symptoms are debilitating or interfere with your normal activities — if:
* You plan to bear children * Your doctor suspects uterine fibroids might be interfering with your fertility * You prefer to retain your uterus
Risks
Myomectomy has a low complication rate. Still, the procedure poses a unique set of challenges for your surgeon.
Risks of myomectomy include:
* Excessive blood loss. The uterus has a rich network of blood vessels, and fibroids stimulate growth of new vessels to obtain their own blood supply. So during myomectomy, surgeons must take extra steps to avoid excessive bleeding. These steps include blocking flow from the uterine arteries and injecting medications around fibroids to cause blood vessels to clamp down. Your doctor may also suggest steps to take to build up your blood count before surgery. * Scar tissue. Incisions into the uterus to remove fibroids can lead to adhesions — bands of scar tissue that may develop after surgery. Within the uterus, adhesions may block implantation of a fertilized egg in the uterine lining, but this rarely happens. Outside the uterus, adhesions could entangle neighboring structures and lead to a blocked fallopian tube or a trapped loop of intestine. * Development of new