Is it serious to have uterine fibroids? Will uterine fibroids affect pregnancy?

How serious are uterine fibroids?

Uterine fibroids can affect pregnancy, and about 25%-40% of patients are infertile. This is related to the size and location of the fibroids. For example, uterine horn fibroids can cause the fallopian tubes to twist and deform, affecting sperm or fertilized eggs, and reducing the chance of conception.

Not all uterine fibroids require treatment and surgery. Most of them only require follow-up. However, because uterine fibroids can grow, doctors still recommend treatment up to a certain size. So, how serious are uterine fibroids?

If the fibroids grow too fast or after menopause, the fibroids will not shrink but grow larger. Generally speaking, fibroids larger than 5.0cm are more serious and need to be removed surgically in time. However, the specific treatment plan needs to be determined based on the individual's age, clinical manifestations and endocrine conditions.

In general, if the size of the fibroid is more than 3 cm and has a rich blood supply, surgery should be performed as soon as possible. For less serious fibroids, Chinese medicine can be used to treat them and make them disappear.

Under what circumstances are uterine fibroids serious?

Excessive menstrual bleeding

Due to uterine fibroids, heavy menstrual flow, long menstrual cycles, and long-term excessive menstrual blood loss, patients may develop secondary anemia and even anemic heart disease. In severe cases, symptoms such as general fatigue, pale complexion, shortness of breath, and palpitations are common in submucosal uterine fibroids and intramural uterine fibroids.

In this case, there should be no delay and it is recommended to have surgery at the appropriate time, otherwise it may be life-threatening.

Compression of pelvic organs

Urgent, frequent, or even dysuria.

Compression of the rectum can cause symptoms of rectal irritation and even difficulty in defecation.

Low-lying fibroids or cervical fibroids or broad ligament fibroids compress the ureter, leading to hydroureteral and renal pelvis. People with pelvic organ compression symptoms do not necessarily have heavy menstrual flow or long menstrual periods.

Generally speaking, surgical treatment should be considered once cervical fibroids, broad ligament fibroids, and submucosal fibroids are found.

3. Suspected malignant changes in the tumor

The probability of uterine fibroids becoming malignant is very small, generally below 1%, and is more common in older people with fast-growing fibroids, especially when fibroids grow rapidly after menopause or occur after menopause.

Although most uterine fibroids shrink after menopause, they should not be taken lightly and should still be checked regularly.

4. Torsion of seroma pedicle

Subserosal tumor pedicle torsion often presents as acute lower abdominal pain. If surgery is not performed in time, the necrotic fibroids may cause secondary infection, severe septic shock, intestinal adhesions, intestinal obstruction, etc.

5. Cause infertility

Because uterine horn fibroids compress the entrance of the fallopian tubes, it hinders pregnancy. In addition, fibroid patients often have ovarian dysfunction, leading to infertility. Uterine fibroids deform the uterus and hinder the implantation of fertilized eggs, but they also affect the proliferation of the endometrium. Even if the embryo is implanted, it is easy to cause miscarriage due to the presence of fibroids. Women with uterine fibroids are infertile, and other examinations are normal. The cause of infertility may be uterine fibroids. If fibroids are suspected to cause infertility, surgery should be performed in time.

6. Adhesion of ovarian tumor

Sometimes, whether from clinical symptoms, physical examination or auxiliary examinations such as ultrasound, uterine fibroids are not easy to distinguish from ovarian tumors, and it is impossible to distinguish uterine fibroids or ovarian tumors and perform surgery in time.

7. Some relative indications

A single fibroid that is larger than 5 cm in diameter.

The uterus is enlarged beyond 10 weeks of pregnancy.