About 80% of women will suffer from uterine fibroids before they reach their 50s. Even though not all fibroids will have accompanying symptoms, those with symptoms significantly affect one’s functionality. If you are experiencing heavy periods or any accompanying fibroids symptom, access uterine fibroids treatment in Houston TX at Alate Health. At the facility, you will meet Dr. Andrew Doe, MD – a certified interventional cardiologist who provides fibroid removal procedures, thus reducing bleeding and alleviating your symptoms quickly and effectively. Schedule online or call the office to request a consultation.
What Are Uterine Fibroids?
Uterine fibroids are fibrous tissue and muscle that develop inside the uterus. There are different types of fibroids, depending on where they occur. These include:
- Intramural (muscle wall)
- Subserosal (outermost uterine layer)
- Submucosal (innermost uterine lining)
- Pedunculated (stalk-growing).
Even though fibroids have no cancerous cells, they can still impact your health negatively, for instance, through extended and heavy bleeding. The fibroid growths can develop to the size of a grapefruit or as small as pumpkin seed. Fibroids can also grow in clusters. It’s rare to get fibroids after menopause; most women will experience them during their 30s, 40s, and maybe 50s.
What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Fibroids?
Some women will experience no fibroids’ symptoms. Others will find out they have fibroids during a regular woman wellness exam. But for the majority, fibroids can have a detrimental effect on their general health and well-being. Some of the symptoms you might be having fibroids include lengthy and painful periods, constipation, leg pain, anemia, clotting, fatigue, backache, pain during intercourse, bloating, urinary incontinence, frequent urination, or pelvic pressure feeling.
Fibroids are also associated with heavy flows that will frequently need tampons and pads, or continuous changing of tampons/pads. Those who have uterine fibroids are more likely to call for a Caesarean section during birth. In some cases, they can cause infertility. Although there is no precise cause of uterine fibroids, a combination of several factors will contribute to their development. Factors such as ethnicity, age, weight, genetics, and hormones can heighten the risks and severity of fibroids’ symptoms. Different women will experience a variation of the severity of these symptoms, but it is still unclear why.
What to Expect with Interventional Radiology Fibroids Treatment?
The fibroid treatment will vary according to the patient’s needs and symptoms. The fibroid specialists at Alate Health emphasize using minimally-invasive procedures to alleviate the symptoms without a full fibroid surgery. The uterine fibroid embolization is an FDA-approved procedure, making it a safe and reliable option.
Your fibroid specialist will make a groin area incision, which he/she will use to directly insert the thin catheter to the artery supplying blood to your fibroid. The provider will administer a unique dosage of embolic agents, which block the fibroid’s blood supply. The lack of blood supply means that the fibroid will stop growing, shrink, and eventually wither.
Unlike full-surgery procedures such as hysterectomy, uterine fibroid embolization doesn’t require lengthy downtime. The patient can recover in a week or even days and resume their routine activities.
In conclusion, Alate Health is a top-notch center offering women across Texas and neighboring communities exceptional interventional radiology treatments. The providers here emphasize the need for minimally-invasive treatments as they are safer and require less downtime, unlike conventional open surgeries. Call or go online to schedule an appointment today.
