Women's Health: Uterine Fibroids
Treatment Options
Many treatments are available for uterine fibroids. These treatments
include medications, surgery, and a newer procedure called Uterine Artery
Embolization, which is available at Rhode Island Hospital. Certain
treatments may be more appropriate for some patients than for others.
Following a careful medical evaluation, you and your doctor can discuss
the best option for you. Additional information on the various treatments
follows.
Medications
Medical treatment is aimed at relieving the symptoms caused by
fibroids. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID's) are similar to
Motrin (ibuprofen) and are useful in treating fibroids that cause pain.
Hormonal medications, including birth control pills and other agents, work
by altering the body's production of hormones. As discussed previously,
fibroids are very sensitive to a woman's hormonal levels. By altering
these levels, such medicines can decrease bleeding and sometimes shrink
fibroids. Although these medications help some patients, they are rarely a
long-term solution. Unfortunately, some of these medications cause
intolerable side effects.
Surgery
If medications are ineffective, surgery may be necessary. Several surgical
options are available.
Information
in this section is provided by Rhode
Island Hospital's department of radiology, which offers a complete
range of diagnostic and interventional procedures for women, including
uterine artery embolization, a leading treatment for fibroid tumors. Back
| Women's Health
|
