What is a myomectomy?
Myomectomy is the surgical removal of uterine fibroids while leaving the uterus intact. This treatment option increases your chance of getting pregnant in the future. By comparison, the other treatment option for fibroids, a hysterectomy, wholly or partially removes your uterus.
What are uterine fibroids?
Uterine fibroids are firm, noncancerous growths that often develop in the wall of your uterus but may also grow in the uterine lining and outside the uterus.
Each fibroid grows at distinct rates: Some grow rapidly while others develop gradually. You may have several small fibroids, one large tumor, or a combination of both.
What are the symptoms of fibroids?
If your uterine fibroids stay small, you may never experience symptoms. When symptoms occur, you develop problems, such as:
- Abnormal menstrual bleeding
- Pelvic pain
- Pain during menstrual periods
- Bleeding between periods
- Pain during intercourse
- Lower back pain
- Bloated abdomen
- Frequent urination
How are fibroids treated?
Some medications relieve symptoms, such as heavy bleeding and pain, but they don’t treat fibroids. One type of medication, a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa), shrinks fibroids, but you can only use it for a short time due to side effects.
When you have moderate to severe symptoms, the only treatment is surgery — myomectomy or hysterectomy — for removing fibroids. Your doctor often gives you GnRHa before surgery to make fibroids easier to remove.
What is robotic-assisted myomectomy?
Dr. Alizade performs minimally-invasive, robotic-assisted myomectomies using the da Vinci surgical system. The da Vinci system features a magnified, 3D, high-definition camera, which is contained in a laparoscope.
Dr. Alizade inserts the laparoscope through one small incision, inserts other narrow surgical tools through a few additional tiny incisions, and controls the roboticized tools using highly-sensitive EndoWrist™ instruments.
EndoWrist technology translates the doctor’s wrist, hand, and finger movements into smaller, more precise movements through the minuscule instruments. The robotic tools Dr. Alizade controls are more dexterous than the human hand and can reach into tiny spaces.
What are the benefits of a minimally-invasive myomectomy?
Compared to traditional open surgery that uses a large incision, minimally-invasive surgery offers health benefits, such as:
- Less blood loss
- Less postoperative pain
- Small incisions
- Minimal scarring
- Quicker recovery and healing
- Shorter time in the hospital
If you suffer from pain or heavy bleeding because of uterine fibroids, call Elite OBGYN or book an appointment online.
