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Fibroids
How can I find out if I have fibroids? How are they diagnosed?
Unless you have symptoms, you or your healthcare provider may never notice that you have fibroids. Sometimes fibroids are found during routine gynecological exams. During the pelvic portion of the exam your healthcare provider can feel if your uterus seems larger than normal or if it extends into places it should not.
In order to rule out other uterine conditions that can be mistaken for fibroids (for example, ovarian tumors, bowel masses or early pregnancy), several diagnostic tests to help "see" the pelvic area can be performed:
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Ultrasound - High frequency sound waves are used to create a picture of the pelvic region. In a specialized ultrasound called sonohysterogram or salin infused sonography, a small amount of saltwater solution may be infused into the uterus, through the vagina and cervix, to improve visibility. Ultrasound can be performed without anesthesia, and is an office procedure.
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Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) - Is a type of imaging procedure that uses magnets and radio waves to create an image of the uterus.
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Hysterosalpingography (HSG) - Uses a special dye during an X-ray of the inside of the uterus and fallopian tubes to outline abnormalities. No anesthesia is used. HSG is performed in a radiology suite.
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Hysteroscopy - Is a non-invasive surgical procedure that uses a thin, lighted instrument called a hysteroscope that can be inserted into the uterus through the vagina and cervix to view the uterus. Hysteroscopy can be performed as an office procedure under a local anesthetic, or as an outpatient procedure using local or general anesthesia. If fibroids are found, they can sometimes be removed during this procedure (see
myomectomy description in the Fibroids Treatments section
).
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Laparoscopy - Is a procedure that uses a camera on a thin, lighted telescope-like device, threaded through a small abdominal incision, to view the uterus, ovaries and fallopian tubes.
Is there a cure for fibroids?
The only cure for fibroids is
hysterectomy
(a surgical procedure to remove the uterus). In fact, this is one of the reasons hysterectomy is such a common procedure. Over 600,000 hysterectomies are performed in the US each year, the vast majority of them to treat benign uterine conditions like fibroids or hormonally-caused heavy menstrual bleeding.
But there are other treatment options for these conditions, and many hysterectomies performed each year may be unnecessary. While hysterectomy may be an appropriate solution in some cases, there are other, minimally invasive and less radical treatments for fibroids that may provide symptom relief.
If you are considering a hysterectomy because of your heavy periods, learn more about
GYNECARE THERMACHOICE
as an option.
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