At least one in four women will experience uterine fibroids. Symptoms include heavy bleeding, painful periods, bleeding between periods, frequent urination, pain during sex, lower back problems and bowel issues, and may lead to a hysterectomy or the removal of the uterus. About 600,000 women living in the U.S reportedly have a hysterectomy annually.
While hysterectomies are necessary in some cases, alternatives are available to women with uterine fibroids and include a relatively new non-invasive treatment that uses what’s called magnetic resonance guided focused ultrasound to locate the fibroid and nullify its cells.
The technology is often compared to using a magnifying glass to focus the sun’s energy to burn a small area such as a blade of grass or a leaf. Thermal ablation or the killing of cells occurs without affecting surrounding tissue.
The treatment was approved by the FDA in October 2004 and recovery time is minimal compared to the six weeks of down time required after a hysterectomy.
Have you had uterine fibroids? Have you undergone this treatment? Share you experiences.