My Fibroids are back
I Treated My Fibroids, Why Are They Back?
Fibroids can be unpredictable, making it challenging to pinpoint the exact causes of their recurrence. While most new growth and development is based or hormones and genetics, some may be a result of regeneration or tiny ones that were missed especially if you’ve had a myomectomy. Experiencing a return of symptoms is a distressing experience and dealing with fibroids once is difficult enough, let alone having to face them again.
The recurrence rate of fibroids after myomectomy treatment can vary depending on factors such as the number and size of fibroids removed (and the ones that were missed), the surgical technique used, and individual patient factors such as age and hormonal status. Studies have reported recurrence rates ranging from 10% to 50% within 5 years following myomectomy.
A patient in the example above would have their 5 larger fibroids removed during a myomectomy surgery. However, the other tiny pea sized fibroids are too small to cut out and thus those “grow back”. In reality they didn’t really grow back. They were just not treated during the myomectomy surgery. Those alive fibroids usually grow over the next few years because they were never removed.
Fortunately, there are treatment options available for uterine fibroids with lower rates of recurrence. Minimally invasive procedures like Uterine Fibroid Embolization (UFE) have proven highly effective in alleviating fibroid symptoms and have a reduced likelihood of recurrence. UFE uses microscopic beads that gets the 5 larger fibroids and the other tiny ones. Hence, there is a lesser chance of recurrent symptoms a few years later as the tiny fibroids do not grow. It is like nipping them in the bud before they can grow.
