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Uterine Fibroid
Uterine fibroid pain is something that as many as 50
percent of women contend with at some point. Many more
women have uterine fibroids, but do not experience symptoms.
If the fibroids are tiny, they may never manifest with
symptoms. While some women have symptoms with small fibroids,
women with extreme pain or discomfort often have fibroids
as large as a cantaloupe.
If the symptoms are tolerable, and the woman is nearing
menopause, she will often decide to go through menopause
before considering any type of intervention. Once the
estrogen level drops, the body stops feeding the fibroids
and they usually shrink. This is a fairly safe option
since uterine fibroids are very seldom cancerous.
There is, however, an alternative available that is
both safe and without a long recovery. Beverly Tower
Wilshire Advanced Imaging Center is one of the few medical
centers across the nation offering SonoWave (or ExAblate™
2000 System) technology. This MR guided Focused Ultrasound
Treatment for uterine fibroids was approved by the FDA
in October of 2004.
Real-time viewing of the tumors with MR technology shows
the precise location for the heat of the ultrasound to
be placed. The heat of the ultrasound ablates the tumor
or tumors. As the tumors soften over the next few months
they can begin to be reabsorbed by the body. This treatment
does not prevent new uterine fibroids from growing; therefore,
the procedure may need to be repeated in the future.
For more information on the use of SonoWave, give us
a call at 310-689-3101. Our professional staff will be
glad to answer your questions.
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