What are the methods for treating uterine fibroids? Is surgery the most effective method for treating uterine fibroids?

Uterine fibroids are the most common benign tumors in gynecology. Many women have to live with tumors, so it is necessary to increase understanding of the disease. Experts point out that fibroids cannot be feared for no reason. After all, most people can live peacefully with them; nor can they be underestimated, because the growth of fibroids is affected by many factors and is changing. The scientific attitude is to take measures according to people's situation and grasp it dynamically?

In Cao Xueqin's Dream of the Red Chamber, the smart and capable Wang Xifeng left a deep impression, but the book said that she suffered from hemorrhage for a long time and eventually died of the disease. Some modern medical scientists analyzed that according to Wang Xifeng's age and symptoms, she was most likely suffering from submucosal uterine fibroids. At that time, people were helpless against uterine bleeding and did not fully understand uterine fibroids. Nowadays, although the pathogenesis of uterine fibroids is not very clear, with the development of medicine, uterine fibroids no longer pose a major threat to women's lives. Even if the fibroids are large and the patient's symptoms are obvious, there are good medical solutions.

Gynecological tumors are the most common

Uterine fibroids are the most common tumors in gynecology. About 1/4 to 1/3 of women of childbearing age have this problem. Some women get very nervous when they hear the word tumor. Uterine fibroids are benign tumors with a very low probability of cancer, only 0.2%, so there is no need to be afraid of tumors. Most patients have small fibroids and no symptoms. They do not affect their lives or fertility. No special treatment is needed, just regular observation is enough.

Uterine fibroids are divided into three categories based on where they grow:

The first type is subserosal fibroids. Fibroids grow outside the uterus. The uterus seems to have a bag, usually connected to the uterus by a pedicle. The uterus of this type of patient does not necessarily enlarge, has minimal impact on menstruation, and generally does not cause heavy bleeding.

The second type is intramural fibroids, which are the most common in patients. Generally speaking, the uterus will increase in size and the amount of menstruation will increase.

The third type is submucosal fibroids. This type of fibroid grows in the uterine cavity, which will become larger, so the menstrual volume will increase significantly and irregular bleeding will occur. Some patients will feel pain, which is the most obvious symptom of fibroids. Some women even have fibroids protruding from the cervix into the vagina because their fibroids are so large.

Symptoms are related to where the fibroids grow

The symptoms of uterine fibroids are related to the location, size and speed of the fibroid growth, among which the most critical location is the location. Increased menstrual flow is the most common symptom of uterine fibroids. Pain is rare in uterine fibroids, accounting for about 1/10. It is common in submucosal fibroids, erythrodysesthesia of fibroids, rapid growth, and torsion of the pedicle of subserosal fibroids.

Generally speaking, based on gynecological examination, blood routine and B results, most patients with uterine fibroids can be diagnosed. However, patients with uterine enlargement and pain should be differentiated from adenomyosis. The latter often has obvious pain, uniform uterine enlargement, and does not exceed 10 weeks of gestation. For patients with menorrhagia, uterine mucosal lesions can be identified by diagnostic curettage or hysteroscopy. Pedunculated subserosal fibroids should be differentiated from ovarian tumors. B can make a judgment, and laparoscopy or laparotomy is required if necessary.

Fibroid growth is affected by sex hormones

The cause of uterine fibroids is still unclear, but their growth is definitely closely related to sex hormones. Therefore, all factors that cause changes in sex hormone levels will stimulate the growth of uterine fibroids. Patients should pay attention to the following situations:

The first is sex hormone drugs, including contraceptives, progesterone, estrogen, mifepristone, etc. If they must be used, we must weigh the pros and cons. The second is that pregnancy may cause red degeneration of fibroids. The so-called red degeneration refers to the increase in blood supply to the uterus after pregnancy, the increase in blood supply to the fibroids, and bleeding in the fibroids. Third, abnormal ovarian function can affect the growth of fibroids, such as polycystic ovary syndrome, functional uterine bleeding, etc., which require active treatment. Finally, some foods and health products containing sex hormones can also stimulate the growth of uterine fibroids and should be avoided.

Treatment is mainly based on surgery, and the efficacy of drugs is not accurate

If treatment is needed, surgery is the most reliable way. He stressed that so far, there is no effective drug to treat uterine fibroids. Some medical institutions claim that drugs such as mifepristone can treat uterine fibroids, which has no evidence-based medical basis.

In addition, due to the unknown cause, uterine fibroids cannot be eradicated and may recur after removal. The probability of recurrence after removal of a single fibroid is 20%-30%, and the probability of recurrence of multiple fibroids is 60%. During menopause, uterine fibroids will shrink, but some patients still have large fibroids and still need surgical treatment.