Dr Moayyad Younis, Senior Consultant, and head of Minimal Invasive Services in Gynaecology at the WWRC. PIC: Kammutty VP / the peninsula
Doha: Despite the fact that uterine fibroids are common in women and non-cancerous tumours, if untreated, it would cause complications, says an expert.
Uterine fibroids, also called uterine leiomyomas, are common among women in Qatar, similar to its prevalence in the world. But advanced care is provided for uterine fibroids as well as for many other gynaecologic disorders and diseases at the new Women’s Wellness and Research Center (WWRC), situated within the Hamad bin Khalifa Medical City.
Uterine fibroids are growths of the uterus that often appear during childbearing years in women. Although, uterine fibroids aren’t associated with an increased risk of uterine cancer and almost never develop into cancer, it will lead to many other complications, says Dr Moayyad Younis, Senior Consultant, and head of Minimal Invasive Services in Gynecology at the WWRC.
“Uterine fibroid is most common tumour in the female body, which represents about 20 to 80 percent of all tumours. It can form in any female during the reproductive age until about 50 years. It’s called a smooth muscle like tumour, rarely to be cancerous and like one in 1000 might cause cancer,” he told The Peninsula.
“Women should understand the nature of uterine fibroids. Its harmless and advanced medical and surgical treatment methods are available for fibroid at WWRC. But treatment will be determined by several factors including the health and medical history of the patient,” he said.
Fibroid are generally classified by their location. Intramural fibroid grow within the muscular uterine wall. Submucosal fibroids bulge into the uterine cavity. Subserosal fibroids project to the outside of the uterus. Also symptoms of fibroid can be influenced by the location, size and number of fibroids. Women having fibroid deal with pelvic pressure or pain, menstrual changes, frequent urination and other complications.
It’s also possible that fibroid — especially submucosal fibroids could cause infertility or pregnancy loss. Fibroids may also raise the risk of certain pregnancy complications, such as placental abruption, fetal growth restriction and preterm delivery, says Dr Younis.
The growth patterns of uterine fibroids vary and they may grow slowly or rapidly, or they may remain the same size. Some fibroids go through growth spurts, and some may shrink on their own.
Many fibroids that have been present during pregnancy shrink or disappear after pregnancy, as the uterus goes back to a normal size. Experts monitor and provide the appropriate care and treatment for uterine fibroids.
Factors such as the extent of disease, tolerance for specific medications, procedures, or therapies as well as patients’ opinion and preference would be considered during treatment. Treatment methods include, conservative surgical therapy in which physicians will remove the fibroid, but leave the uterus intact to enable a future pregnancy.
In Gonadotropin , the medicine will lower levels of estrogen and triggers a ‘medical menopause’ and shrink the fibroid, it will make the surgical treatment easier.
There are also treatment methods such as uterine artery embolization usage of anti inflammatory painkillers. While, at some conditions, hysterectomies is performed, which involve the surgical removal of the entire uterus.
Although, the exact cause of uterine fibroid are yet unknown, research suggests that genetic changes, hormones, heredity and other factors such as lifestyle and food habits could cause the condition.
