Preserving Fertility with Fibroids

Fibroids are non-cancerous tumors that develop within the uterine cavity, uterine lining or attached to the uterine exterior via stalk-like growths. While these growths are not typically dangerous, their location can impact your fertility. Here’s what you need to know about preserving fertility with fibroids.

Preserving Fertility with Fibroids

Uterine fibroids will have varying impacts on your ability to conceive, based on their size and location. Larger tumors, or fibroids that form near your fallopian tubes or uterine line, are most likely to interfere with conception. (If you do conceive, fibroids formed within your uterine cavity are most likely to interfere with your pregnancy.) For this reason, women who have fibroids may choose to treat their tumors before attempting to conceive. However, the treatment you select will be very important if you’re concerned about preserving fertility with fibroids.

Uterine-Sparing Fibroid Treatments

Unfortunately, many women believe that undergoing a hysterectomy—surgically removing the uterus—is the only way to gain relief from their fibroid symptoms. Yet there are several treatment options that can shrink or remove tumors that interfere with conception while preserving fertility.

If you want to shrink fibroids while keeping your uterus, you have two main treatment options: myomectomy, the surgical removal of individual tumors, or UFE treatment, a minimally invasive procedure that shrinks fibroids over time, by blocking their blood supply. Now, both options can affect future pregnancies, so you should carefully discuss your family planning goals with a trusted healthcare provider before making any decisions. Still, very recent studies such as this one from the journal Diagnostics reveals that women who undergo UFE enjoy significant improvements in their fertility outcomes following treatment. As such, we encourage you to explore UFE if you are hoping to preserve fertility with fibroids.

Who is a Candidate for UFE?

If fibroids are interfering with your ability to conceive, help is available. At any of our Dallas Fibroid Center locations, we are happy to discuss treatment options and review your candidacy for uterine fibroid embolization. If you are interested in preserving fertility with fibroids, we are ready to support you on your journey. Contact our team to request a consultation.