Myolysis is a laparoscopic surgical procedure used to treat uterine fibroids by destroying the blood vessels supplying them. Other treatments include IUDs, androgen therapy, oral contraceptives, hysterectomy, and myomectomy. Obesity and genetics can increase the risk of fibroids, while pregnancy and childbirth can reduce it.
Myolysis is a surgical medical procedure that some doctors use to treat women with uterine fibroids. A uterine fibroid is a benign growth or tumor in the uterus that usually develops during the childbearing years of a woman’s life. The myolysis procedure is typically done laparoscopically in women who have small fibroids. Most myolysis procedures are performed in cases where fibroid growths are located near the surface of a woman’s uterus.
A doctor usually performs a myolysis procedure with a needle-like device and destroys the small blood vessels in the uterus that are used to supply blood to the fibroids. Uterine fibroids are usually destroyed during the surgical procedure with an electric current or laser. In some cases, patients may receive medications before a myolysis procedure to shrink the fibroid tumors. Fibroid recurrence is possible in some women who receive treatment for myolysis. Cryomyolysis is a similar procedure that freezes uterine fibroids with liquid nitrogen.
Uterine fibroids often cause no symptoms and in many cases may not require treatment. Some women with uterine fibroids may have prolonged menstruation and abnormally heavy bleeding during menstruation. In some cases, women with fibroids have reported pelvic pain, frequent urination, and difficulty emptying the bladder. Back pain and leg pain are also possible with this medical condition.
Doctors may use other forms of uterine fibroid treatment besides myolysis. A progestogen-releasing intrauterine device (IUD) can be used in some women to relieve fibroid pain and heavy bleeding. Androgen therapy uses synthetic drugs similar to testosterone to relieve uterine fibroid symptoms, but these drugs can cause side effects such as depression, abnormal hair growth, and a deeper voice. Oral contraceptives can also reduce bleeding from uterine fibroids.
Some doctors perform other surgeries for uterine fibroids. A hysterectomy typically provides permanent relief from fibroids, but it generally involves surgical removal of the uterus and can lead to early menopause. Patients who want to have children can undergo a myomectomy in some situations. A surgeon ideally cuts fibroid tumors from the uterus while leaving the uterus intact during a myomectomy.
Women with a family history of uterine fibroids generally have a higher risk of developing these same benign growths. Obesity can increase the risk of fibroid tumors in some cases. Using oral contraceptives, pregnancy, and childbirth can reduce a woman’s chance of developing uterine fibroids in some cases. The cause of uterine fibroids isn’t always known, but genetic changes to the cells in the uterine muscle tissue may play a role in fibroid development. Progesterone and estrogen can also stimulate the growth of uterine fibroids.
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