Fibroids Specialist

What are fibroids?

Fibroids are benign (noncancerous) tumors that can develop abnormally in your uterus. They can grow quite large and cause discomfort, pain, and other problems, or you may not even notice them. They’re also known as:

• Myomas
• Leiomyomas
• Fibromas or uterine fibromas

Fibroids can grow inside the wall of your uterus as intramural fibroids, or on the outside of your uterus as subserosal fibroids. Intramural fibroids are the most common type, and up to 80% of women have them by the age of 50. They range in size, from the size of a pea to a softball.

What causes fibroids?

The exact cause of fibroids isn’t clear, but factors such as hormones, family history, and pregnancy may influence the development of fibroids. You may be more prone to fibroids if you’re significantly overweight or of African-American descent.

What are some common symptoms of fibroids?

Many women don’t have symptoms, especially if the fibroids are small. But, if you do experience mild to severe symptoms as a result of uterine fibroids, you may have the following:

• Abnormal bleeding between periods
• Lower back pain
• Heavy periods
• Periods longer than a week
• Frequent urination or difficulty emptying your bladder
• Constipation
• Pain during intercourse
• Pelvic pain from a tumor pressing on other organs

If your symptoms disrupt your life, or your pelvic pain doesn’t go away, it’s a good idea to seek medical treatment so that it doesn’t lead to further health complications, like iron-deficiency anemia from blood loss.

What are my treatment options for fibroids?

If Dr. Sherry Neyman confirms that you have fibroids through X-rays, MRI or an ultrasound, she can recommend appropriate treatments that can relieve your symptoms and treat the tumors. If you have a significant number of bothersome fibroids and have completed childbearing, a hysterectomy may be the best course of action.

Medications help to shrink fibroids and prevent more from growing or alleviate heavy bleeding during your period, but unfortunately, their effects don’t last forever and your problems usually return.

Instead of a hysterectomy, laparoscopic or DaVinci robotic myomectomy is another method of removing fibroids, through small incisions, allowing for faster recovery time. Additionally, Dr. Neyman specializes in advanced technology like the Acessa™ Procedure to treat fibroids.

This minimally invasive, outpatient procedure shrinks fibroids or eliminates them completely, using radiofrequency ablation. She is one of less than 50 surgeons who has been trained in this procedure and women from all over Texas come to her for treatment. Many times, they even drive home the next day.

Acessa Procedure is FDA cleared and recovery time is usually just 3-5 days. Furthermore, it doesn’t harm the uterine tissue surrounding the fibroids. It is a great alternative, especially for women who plan future fertility but want the most minimally invasive fibroid treatment now.

To learn more about treatment options for fibroids, call the office to schedule an appointment or use the online booking tool.