what we do
Fibroids and Polyps
Fibroids are tumours present in the uterus. Well when I say tumours there is nothing to worry about them. They are made up pf muscle and fibrous connecting tissues. They are not harmful to the body. These are very common in women and almost 7- to 80 % women will have fibroids once in their lifetime.
Fibroids are always benign almost never cancerous. Cancerous fibroids are very rare thus there in nothing to worry about them.
How does one know if you have fibroids?
Most women will experience less or no symptoms of fibroids. It also depends on the size and the position of the fibroids. However large number or large sized fibroids can cause the following symptoms.
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Heavy bleeding during periods
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Bleeding between periods
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Frequent urination
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Lower back pain
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Pain during intercourse
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Difficulty in getting pregnant
How do you know if you have uterine fibroids?
If you have any of the above symptoms, get a sonography done to know If there are any fibroids. Fibroids can be confirmed either on the sonography or on an MRI.
What are the different types of fibroids?
There are generally 3 types pf fibroids
- Subserosal fibroids: there are present near the outer wall of the uterus and can push the uterus against the pelvis. Such fibroids can grow large. These are the most common type fibroids
- Intramural Fibroids: these are present in the muscular wall of the uterus.
- Submucosal fibroids: they grow in the open space in the uterus and need to be removed if you are planning a pregnancy. These are rare fibroids. In there presence the patient cannot get pregnant until they are removed.
Fibroid and pregnancy?
Yes, women with fibroids will conceive. These women will have difficulty to conceive if the fibroids are causing thin endometrium or is entering the endometrial cavity , but they can be removed and you can conceive naturally. Women with fibroids can have a normal pregnancy if the fibroids are small and are not entering the endometrial cavity. We only need to remove the fibroids that are entering in the endometrial cavity. Rest can be left alone.
POLYPS
1) What are polyps in the uterus?
Uterine polyps are overgrowth of the endometrial tissue. They are present inside the uterine cavity on the endometrium, thus sometimes also called as endometrial polyp. Women having endometrial polyps will face difficulty in conceiving. But once the polyp is removed, they can conceive. Having uterine polys show that the endometrium has a good chance of growing an embryo in it.
2) How do I know if I have an endometrial polyp?
These are generally seen on the sonography. If you are facing problems in conceiving, your infertility specialist will do a sonography and let you know if there are polyps. Other than that, if you have any of the following symptoms, you can get a sonography done to rule out polyps.
- Irregular uterine bleeding
- Bleeding in between periods
- Vaginal bleeding after menopause
- Infertility
3) Can I become pregnant if I have polyps?
Only once the polyp is removed will you be able to conceive. Removing the polyp is a small procedure called hysteroscopy and will tale about 20-25 minutes under anaesthesia.