Fibroid tumors are non-cancerous growths (tumors) in the uterus. In most cases, treatment is not needed at all. Treatment is only considered if the fibroid is growing rapidly or if you have symptoms like:

• Excessive vaginal bleeding
• Pelvic pressure
• Abdominal enlargement
• Abdominal pain
• Pain with intercourse

In the past, most women who had fibroids with symptoms required surgery to correct the problem; recent research, however, has led to many new treatments that do not require surgery.

Uterine Artery Embolization: UAE shrinks fibroids by cutting off their blood supply. A catheter is threaded from the groin up into the uterine artery. The blood vessels supplying the fibroids are identified and material is used to block blood flow to the tumor.

Focused Ultrasound Surgery: This procedure destroys fibroids by using high frequency sound waves. Prior to the procedure, the patient gets an MRI scan to map the size and location of the fibroids. Once this is done, high frequency sound waves are used to generate heat within the tumors, causing damage and death to the cells. Because this procedure is based on a map of the fibroids' location, it can prevent damage to nearby tissues. The focused ultrasound procedure may not be the right one for women with a large number of fibroids, or those with very big fibroids. The procedure is not recommended for women who think they may want to get pregnant in the future.

Medicines: Medicines are used to decrease the size of fibroids in preparation for surgery, or to decrease the symptoms caused by fibroids.

• GnRH agonists such as luprolide (Lupron); these are drugs that stop the body from making the hormones that cause women to have their periods. As a result, fibroids shrink and symptoms decrease. GnRH agonists only shrink fibroids to 30-50% of their original size, and fibroids will regrow when the medicine is discontinued. For this reason, they are used only to help decrease bleeding as a woman prepares for surgery.
• Birth control pills can also decrease bleeding caused by fibroids. If a woman does not have risk factors that prevent her from taking hormones, this may be a good option for treating the symptoms caused by fibroids.
• NSAIDS are over-the-counter medicines that can decrease the amount of menstrual bleeding, as well as treat minor to moderate pain caused by fibroids.

Surgical Treatments

• Myomectomy: removal of the fibroid or fibroids that are causing symptoms. This can be done through an incision in the abdomen (abdominal myomectomy), or through the vagina, without an incision (hysteroscopic myomectomy).
• Hysterectomy: partial or complete removal of the uterus. This can be done through an incision in the abdomen (abdominal hysterectomy), through the vagina (vaginal hysterectomy), or through instruments placed through several small incisions in the abdomen (laparoscopic hysterectomy)
• Endometrial Ablation: This treatment uses electrical energy or heat energy to destroy the lining of the uterus. This reduces the amount of bleeding a woman has with her periods.