New fibroid treatment offers relief and faster recovery while preserving the uterus

Uterine fibroids are non-cancerous muscle growths in the uterus. About 70% of people with a uterus will get them at some point. Many won’t even know it. But about 25% of people with uterine fibroids will experience pain, heavy bleeding, or anemia.

If you experience painful periods or heavy bleeding, talk to your healthcare provider about it, encouraged Anna Masters, DO, an obstetrician and gynecologist at M Health Fairview Center for Women – Edina. 

“Many women suffer in silence,” Masters said. “They might not know that what they’re experiencing isn’t necessarily typical. You don’t have to bleed heavily every single month for a prolonged period of time. Many women accept it as their lot in life, but it doesn’t have to be like that.”

M Health Fairview offers several safe and effective treatment options, from medication to surgery. We also offer the new Acessa treatment, which targets fibroids directly. It reduces recovery time and spares the uterus.

Fibroid treatment can improve quality of life

Fibroids are most common in women in their 30s and 40s. Black women are at highest risk of developing fibroids. Risk of fibroids also increases with obesity and a diet that includes red meat and ham, according to the Office on Women’s Health.

Fibroids can affect a person’s life since they cause pain and anemia symptoms like fatigue, weakness, and cold hands or feet. A heavy menstrual flow can also lead to anxiety about bleeding through clothing. In addition, fibroids can interfere with fertility and pregnancy. 

Signs of uterine fibroids include:

• Longer or more frequent periods
• Bleeding between periods
• Pain or pressure in the pelvic area or during sex
• Frequent urination
• Stomach pain or growth in the stomach area

M Health Fairview offers a variety of treatment options that could stop fibroids from growing.

“I often hear patients say, ‘I didn’t realize that life could be different – that life could be better,’” Masters said. 

The first step is talking to your healthcare provider about what you’re experiencing, Masters said. From there, they can discuss fibroid treatment options with you that will factor in any future pregnancy plans.

“The best treatment is going to be individualized per woman,” Masters said. “We’ll take into account your symptoms, needs, and goals.”

Treatment usually starts with oral or injectable medications that are often used as birth control. The medications can also be used to suppress the ovarian hormones, which helps reduce bleeding, size of fibroids, and size of uterus.

Medical procedures can also ease fibroid symptoms. Myomectomy is the surgical removal of fibroids. It can be done through an abdominal incision or through a less invasive laparoscopy. Hysterectomy, surgical removal of the uterus, is another option.

M Health Fairview now offers Acessa, a minimally invasive procedure that allows people to go home the same day. Acessa uses heat from a small needle to shrink or destroy each fibroid. 

This could be a good option for women who don’t want to have a bigger procedure like hysterectomy or myomectomy. Acessa is done with a small incision. A doctor will use a handpiece, which is placed laparoscopically on the uterus, to find fibroids that might not even be visible on an ultrasound or MRI. Then another piece is inserted to deliver the radio frequency ablation directly into the fibroid.

Acessa can treat fibroids both within the uterine muscle and on the outside. It can also target fibroids deep in the uterus. The recovery is also easier than myomectomy or hysterectomy, with many people needing only a heating pad and some over-the-counter pain medication for about five days versus two to six weeks.

“Pregnancy seems very promising, but it's hard to make any definitive conclusions from that at this point,” Masters said.

Acessa is offered at M Health Fairview St. John’s and Southdale hospital locations. If you’re interested in Acessa, ask your primary care or women’s health provider about it.

“It’s OK to ask if there are options that aren’t available at your location,” Masters said.

She had a patient from a different location who had been living with fibroids for a long time and didn’t want to lose her uterus. 

“Acessa was the exact thing she had been looking for," Masters said. “It was very gratifying that we could finally find something that matched up with her, her goals and desires. I have no doubt will give her relief from her terrible symptoms that she's been dealing with for so long.”