What is a uterine myoma?

 Uterine myomas, also called fibroids, are benign tumours that develop in the muscular wall of the uterus. Although some myomas do not cause any symptoms, in some women they can provoke problems owing to their size or location in the uterus.

Are myomas common?

It is estimated that between 20 and 40% of women aged over 35 have myomas or fibroids.

What are the symptoms caused by myomas?

• Increased menstrual bleeding or inter-menstrual bleeding. 
•  Pelvic pain. 
•  Pressure or heaviness in the pelvis. 
•  Pain during sex. 
•  Pressure on the bladder, increasing urinary frequency. 
•  Pressure on the digestive tract, causing constipation. Generally the symptoms improve after the menopause, when oestrogen levels fall.

 How are they diagnosed?

They are diagnosed by simple examinations like conventional or transvaginal echography, magnetic resonance, or tomography.

How are myomas treated?

 Treatment with medication is the first step. In some patients, hormone treatment triggers secondary effects and must be discontinued. Generally, fibroids cause the same symptoms when treatment ends. The next step includes using more invasive techniques. Myomectomy:

•  Myomectomy is a surgical procedure which consists in the extraction of the myomas. 
•  Hysterectomy consists in the removal of the uterus by means of open surgery. Hysterectomy is the most commonly-used treatment for fibroids.

What is the embolisation of fibroids/fibroid embolisation?

It is a procedure which is performed by means of a small incision in the groin, while the patient is sedated but conscious, and the insertion of a catheter up to the uterine arteries. Once in the uterine arteries, particles like grains of sand are injected, blocking the flow of blood from the myoma and making it shrink. Embolisation generally requires one day?s hospitalisation; the patient can resume her normal activities two days later.

 Studies show that between 78 and 94% of women whose myomas have been embolised experienced a complete or almost complete disappearance of the bleeding, pain and other related symptoms.

Can I still fall pregnant?

 A recent study comparing the fertility of a group of women who had undergone the uterine myoma embolisation and that of another group who had undergone myomectomy showed successful results in both groups. Despite the fact that the later effects of embolisation on women?s fertility have not been determined owing to limited experience, many successful pregnancies after embolisation have been reported in the world press.