Featured Expert September 2007

Alternatives to Hysterectomy
for Women Suffering with Fibroids

John Lipman, MD

Every very working day in this country over 3,000 women undergo hysterectomy. The most common reason is uterine fibroids. Fibroids are benign (non-cancerous) tumors that grow in the uterus. Over 1/3 of all women over 35 years of age have fibroids, and over ½ of all African-American women of child bearing age have fibroids.

Fibroids cause symptoms based on where they are located in the uterus. If they are present centrally (near the uterine lining), they will cause heavy prolonged menstrual periods (often with blood "flooding" or "gushing" out and passage of clots). This abnormal bleeding is called menorrhagia.

While this is often not life threatening, it can be severely debilitating to women, resulting in pain, fatigue, emotional stress/embarrassment, and anemia.

The toll from this bleeding can have a significant impact on a woman’s quality of life, including symptoms of depression, and days lost from work and social activities. If the fibroids are located near the bladder, they can act like a paperweight and cause a woman to urinate more frequently; often multiple times in the middle of the night. Fibroids can cause pelvic pain or pressure by pressing on pelvic nerves. This pain can radiate into the lower back or thighs. More >

Learn More - Visit our Featured Expert Archive