Hi,
Fibroids are basically smooth muscle tumours that grow from the muscle wall of the uterus. They do not serve any function but instead may adversely affect the physical and reproductive well being of the female patient, depending on the size, depth, number and location of the fibroid.
Whether or not to intervene will depend on whether the patient has symptoms, or the potential to cause problems in the near future.
Subserosal fibroids are in the outer layer of the uterus and can grow to a large size without any symptoms. This is because the abdominal / pelvic cavity has a lot of space for it to expand. A near 9cm fibroid in a young patient with the potential to grow larger can cause pressure issues in pregnancy. However, there are some who do cope.
Treatment options include surgery to remove the fibroid (Laparoscopic/ Robotic/ open surgery), High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) to heat and destroy the fibroid core, and oral medication such as ulipristal to try to shrink the fibroid.
The patient will have to understand the advantages and limitations of each of these options and have a detailed discussion with the gynaecologist, to decide on the appropriate option.
Hope this helps.
Best rgds
Dr Fong Yoke Fai
