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Should Hysterectomy Be Done For Uterine Fibroid?
I am 54 and going through menopause....I have had a fibroid for years, but on my yearly exam recently, it had enlarged to the point that my doctor sent me for a transvaginal US...my question is, since I have no significant symptoms, even if the ultrasound shows pressure on my bladder and one ovary hiding behind the fibroid, what advantage would there truly be to having a hysterectomy?
Mon, 30 Jan 2017
Hello, and I hope I can help you today.
In the majority of women, fibroids are benign, and if they do not produce any symptoms, there is really no reason to have them removed.
Sometimes fibroids can be so large that they can block the tubes that drain your kidneys into your bladder (called hydroureter or hydronephrosis) and if that is the case, then hysterectomy may be indicated as it would prevent long-term injury to your kidneys. If all they see in your case is bladder pressure, that alone is not an indication for surgery.
However, rapid growth of a fibroid, especially after menopause, can rarely be symptoms of a rare type of uterine cancer called sarcoma. If you no longer menstruate and your fibroid is growing, that may be the reason your physician may recommend hysterectomy.
But if you still get your period and you have no symptoms, there is no reason you need to have your fibroid or uterus removed. After menopause, your fibroids will gradually shrink on their own, because they depend on estrogen for growth. Most women who have a history of fibroids have them disappear completely above age 75.
So again, as long as there is no danger of injury to your other body organs, and that there is no suspicion of cancer, you really do not need a hysterectomy.
I hope I was able to adequately answer your question today and that my advice was helpful.
Best wishes,
Dr. Brown
In the majority of women, fibroids are benign, and if they do not produce any symptoms, there is really no reason to have them removed.
Sometimes fibroids can be so large that they can block the tubes that drain your kidneys into your bladder (called hydroureter or hydronephrosis) and if that is the case, then hysterectomy may be indicated as it would prevent long-term injury to your kidneys. If all they see in your case is bladder pressure, that alone is not an indication for surgery.
However, rapid growth of a fibroid, especially after menopause, can rarely be symptoms of a rare type of uterine cancer called sarcoma. If you no longer menstruate and your fibroid is growing, that may be the reason your physician may recommend hysterectomy.
But if you still get your period and you have no symptoms, there is no reason you need to have your fibroid or uterus removed. After menopause, your fibroids will gradually shrink on their own, because they depend on estrogen for growth. Most women who have a history of fibroids have them disappear completely above age 75.
So again, as long as there is no danger of injury to your other body organs, and that there is no suspicion of cancer, you really do not need a hysterectomy.
I hope I was able to adequately answer your question today and that my advice was helpful.
Best wishes,
Dr. Brown
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