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Hysterectomy Alternatives
When a diagnosis of fibroid tumors is determined, there
are several hysterectomy alternatives available. Decades
ago, the only option was to surgically remove the uterus.
Then, you must endure several days in the hospital and
weeks with painful, limited activity. Now, there are
other surgical and non-surgical choices.
One option is an abdominal myomectomy. This procedure
requires an open abdominal incision to remove the fibroid(s)
without removing the uterus. Another option is a laparoscopic
or hysteroscopic myomectomy. This procedure is used to
remove the fibroid(s) with a tiny laproscopic incision
rather than having the abdominal incision. Either way,
the uterus is left intact.
Other hysterectomy alternatives include hormone therapy,
uterine artery embolization, just waiting (no treatment),
and MR guided Focused Ultrasound Surgery (FUS). The MR
guided FUS is the latest technique, and it requires no
hospitalization. This procedure, also known as SonoWave,
was approved by the FDA in October of 2004, and has been
performed on over 1,000 women with great success. One
of the few locations in the nation to have the MR guided
FUS is Beverly Tower Wilshire Advanced Imaging Center.
After you have been diagnosed with fibroid tumors, check
with your doctor about the option of the use of MR guided
FUS to treat the tumor. The ExAblate™ 2000 uses high doses
of ultrasound to destroy (ablate) the uterine fibroids.
The possible side effects are minimal, and your doctor
will be able to tell you if there is any medical history
that would prohibit you from being a candidate for this
intervention. To schedule your consultation with us,
call 310-689-3101.
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