Fibroids are benign (non-cancerous) muscle growths of the womb that affect more than 25% of women.
Symptoms:
heavy periods
abdominal bloating/discomfort
difficulty conceiving
pelvic/abdominal or back pain
pain with intercourse
bladder and bowel pressure symptoms
Diagnosis
They are usually diagnosed with ultrasound or hysteroscopy
Treatment
Fibroids only need to be treated if they are causing significant symptoms.
Medical treatments can be effective in reducing their size
If they are mainly inside the womb they can be removed hysteroscopically via the cervix without abdominal incisions.
If they are mainly on the outside of the womb and fertility is important they can be removed by a laparoscopic or open approach.
If fertility is not important then a hysterectomy is curative.
Other techniques can also be used such as uterine artery embolisation. See fibroids