Leiomyomas or uterine fibroids are typically benign (noncancerous) growths from connective tissue and muscle from the uterus wall, the pear-shaped organ the size of a lemon inside a woman’s pelvis. This is where babies develop during pregnancy.
The fibroids themselves will usually be small, around 1mm, but they can be as large as 8 inches in diameter, and on some occasions, they can even be larger. They can vary in size, location, and number. If you are also bothered by these growths and actively seeking fibroid treatment in South Miami, Florida, know that our experts are here to help.
One of the reasons why women want to get rid of these fibroids is because they fear that it might interfere with their pregnancy. Do fibroids cause problems during pregnancy? In this article, we bring you the answers.
Types of Fibroids
These growths can appear in several places, both outside and inside the uterus. Determining their size and location is essential for successful treatment.
As a matter of fact, based on their locations, experts classify several different fibroid types, describing not just their place but also the way it’s attached to the uterus. They include the following:
- Intramural fibroids are in the wall of the uterus, growing inside the wall of the muscle.
- Submucosal fibroids grow inside the uterine cavity where the baby develops.
- Pedunculated fibroids are rare, located outside the uterus, and connected loosely to the outer part of the uterine wall by a stem.
- Subserosal fibroids are also located on the outside of the organ but are closely connected to its wall.
Causes and Symptoms of Uterine Fibroids
The exact cause of uterine fibroid development is unknown. What experts know is that they primarily affect women in their reproductive age.
When discussing the symptoms of uterine fibroids, it’s essential to know that many patients experience no telltale signs of their condition. Usually, when they cause no problems, they won’t require any treatment. On the other hand, asymptomatic fibroids will generally warrant more medical visits and tests because they may be causing the following symptoms:
- Bleeding between periods
- Abdominal bloating or a sense of fullness
- Painful and profuse bleeding during periods
- Lower back pain
- Frequent urination if the fibroids put additional pressure on the patient’s bladder
- Painful sexual intercourse
- Vaginal discharge
- Constipation
- Being unable to empty the bladder completely
- Abdominal distension
Diagnosing Uterine Fibroids
Usually, these growths are discovered during routine examinations at your provider’s practice, while they are performing a gynecologic exam during prenatal care, or a pelvic exam.
Other times, the symptoms mentioned above call for additional tests to uncover the underlying cause. That said, several tests can help experts diagnose fibroids and determine their location and exact size. The tests can include the following:
- CT and MRI scan
- Ultrasonography
- Hysteroscopy
- Laparoscopy
- Sonohysterography
- HSG or hysterosalpingography
Uterine Fibroids and Pregnancy
Many women may also wonder whether the presence of fibroids in the uterus would cause complications during their pregnancy. Since they are extremely common, it’s safe to say that there’s no reason to be concerned with fibroids during pregnancy. Still, in some cases, they can lead to complications not just during pregnancy, but conception as well.
Effects on Fertility
For the most part, fibroids don’t cause fertility complications, but they may block the fallopian tubes depending on their location and size. This mostly happens in the case of submucosal fibroids, which grow inside the wall’s muscle inside the uterine cavity. As said, they may block the fallopian tubes, making falling pregnant more difficult but not impossible.
To be more precise, larger fibroids in specific places may interfere with the sperm getting to the egg, fertilization, and embryo implantation.
Fibroids During Pregnancy
Also, some fibroids might cause complications during pregnancy if their location inside the uterus is where the baby should be. Still, often, experts won’t recommend anything drastic in terms of treatment but will closely monitor the pregnancy and the development of the growths.
When Fibroids Do Cause Problems
Unfortunately, these growths can potentially interfere with your future pregnancy. For the most part, women can get pregnant if they have fibroids, and if their provider is aware of their condition, they will be closely monitored to see if there are any changes.
The problem with pregnancy is that the female body releases specific hormones during this period, which can trigger the fibroids to get even bigger. Needless to say, if the growths become too large, they can prevent the baby from flipping into the proper fetal position, which may lead to specific complications such as fetal head malpresentation or breech birth.
In other, especially rare cases, women may also be at higher risk of pre-term deliveries or C-sections. Also, as mentioned above, fibroids rarely cause infertility but can contribute to difficulties when trying to conceive.
Treating Fibroids
For the most part, non-surgical treatments try to mitigate unpleasant symptoms but will leave the growths intact.
In those cases when surgery is required, experts usually consider several factors, and one of those is whether the patient wants to have future pregnancies. When the patient does wish to become pregnant somewhere in the future, experts usually opt for surgical methods that preserve the uterus.
Myomectomy
Myomectomyies are surgical interventions that do not damage the uterus while removing fibroids. There are several variants of this procedure, and the type patients will have will mostly depend on the size and location of the fibroids.
Fibroid removal via myomectomy can include the following:
- Laparoscopy: As the name suggests, the surgeon will use a scope for fibroid removal. The procedure involves making a few tiny incisions in the abdomen, allowing the surgeon to insert the laparoscope and remove the fibroid growths. Often, the procedure is performed with the help of a robot to make more precise incisions.
- Hysteroscopy: During this procedure, the surgeon inserts a flexible, thin tool that looks like a tube through the vagina, through the cervix and all the way to the uterus. No incisions are made, and the surgeon will use the scope to cut and remove the fibroids.
- Laparotomy: During this intervention, a larger incision is made in the patient’s abdomen, and the surgeon removes the fibroids through this single, large cut.
Talk to an Expert
In most cases, uterine fibroids cause no trouble at all. In others, they can lead to uncomfortable symptoms, which can be treated through a variety of methods. When it comes to pregnancy, these uterine growths usually cause little to no problems, but there are rare instances where they can make becoming pregnant more difficult. Also, in some cases, they can lead to problems during pregnancy.
To avoid these issues, it’s always an excellent idea to be closely monitored by an expert who can address every problem promptly. As such, feel free to reach out to our experts today if you have any questions or concerns.