Anyone had fibroids removed?

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For background I'm 52 and going through the menopause, following some surprising horrendously heavy bleeding it's been discovered that I have an enormous fibroid. I've seen my consultant and had a hysteroscopy to confirm that the largest fibroid has to be taken out. She explained that it would be effectively shaved/sliced away bit by bit and if I wanted it be done under local anaesthetic- I'm a wimp so have opted for the general!

I've got a pre-operative check this week and have been reading up on the procedure and it's side effects etc and wonder if I might be better off going for a hysterectomy instead? It seems that a large proportion of patients end up having a hysterectomy either due to complications or because the fibroid return. In some cases an emergency hysterectomy has been carried out.

So has anyone had this procedure and if so how did it go?

Has no one mentioned fibroid embolisation to you?

If not please, please look it up and ask your GP/Consultant about it. I have no idea why this procedure is still so well hidden.

Not every fibroid condition is suitable for it - but if you are it would be utterly barbaric to undergo hysterectomy when embolisation is so minimally invasive, involves less surgical risk and actually works.

But I hope whatever procedure you end up having goes well.

Not all fibroids are suitable for embolisation though.

I had two, one was removed under General anaesthesia (best sleep ever!) As it was causing non stop bleeding leading to anaemia. The bleeding stopped almost immediately and I have been back to normal ever since. The other is apparently a good candidate for embolisation but I have read that it could grow back and tbh it's not causing me any problems so I'm inclined to just leave it alone for now.

My wonderful doctor said there was a chance that I'd have to have a hysterectomy if it went wrong but laughed and said but that's not going to happen. I was chatting away to her in the operating theatre all snug, wrapped up in bed and the next thing I was waking up after a great snooze and it was all over. It was really that easy.

No direct experience but I had ablation for my fibroids, largest one is grapefruit size (they are intramural and can’t be shaved off). They have caused me so much grief for years.

It didn’t work, I now have the option of a hysterectomy but at nearly 51 as a lone parent with a job, dog, teenager, etc., etc., I am not sure that the risks and inconvenience of major surgery will outweigh the benefits given that I could go through the menopause in two years.

I was recently prescribed something to stop my periods for three months (can’t remember why it is called but it’s used for prostrate cancer) to make sure that a hysterectomy would stop the pain I am in for half the month but my GP (also a gynaecologist) talked it though with me and we decided to try naproxen instead.

It has been amazing, reduced bleeding in month one and seems to have stopped it in month two. The crippling pain (including five days around ovulation has gone) and I have only taken one tablet on eight days, two days mid month and two days when having a period.

I would think that your gynaecologist, who has your scans in front of them, is the best person to advise you on the best procedure for your situation. I wouldn’t opt for hysterectomy as a line of first defence personally because of the recovery time/increased complication risk.

Was it Decapeptyl Life? I found that amazing (though expensive) as i had absolutely no hormone fluctuations for 6 weeks (1 dose). It was suggested as a longer term solution but at €160 a month a bit too steep for me.

I had one removed under anaesthetic. Surgery was fine, unfortunately it made no difference to bleeding (I'd tried loads of drugs unsucessfully too) I had a hysterectomy and wish I'd had one years earlier. Best thing I did!

I have - but I went for the hysterectomy option. It was that or an embolisation procedure which attempted to shrink the blood supply to the fibroid. it wasn't guaranteed to be successful though and so I went for the other option.

Hysterectomy is major, especially if your fibroid is too large to have it keyhole or vaginally. Having said that I recovered better than I thought I would, pottering around the house the day after I came home from hospital and walking gradually longer distances every day. Best thing I ever did, free of horrendous periods.

Oh on the risks of embolisation. I was told the same. That it might not work at all, that it might work for a wee while then the fibroid grow again or that in the worst case scenario I would need an emergency hysterectomy. Have you had a MRI to make sure the fibroid is suitable?

I wasn't offered the removal of just the fibroid as mine wasn't suitable for doing that. I certainly wouldn't want it done under local anaesthetic.

I’m not sure Sunniva, there wasn’t much point in trying it as I decided against a hysterectomy. It’s free on the NHS whatever it was. I am due to see my gynaecologist at the end of the month. Hopefully he will approve of my course of action!

If I had been offered a hysterectomy last year before STBXH left I would have probably taken it. Logistically it would be a nightmare for me on my own, hence carrying on without one for now.

My gynaecologist always made me very aware of risk vs relatively short term benefit given my age (and I have put up with them for 11 years). I was having iron transfusions on a regular basis pre ablation so I guess it did something but left me with pain that is so bad it wakes me up at night for ten or so days a month. The naproxen seems to have improved it though.

Also no direct experience but had embolisation last year. It worked in that my fibroid shrunk by half but my uterus hasn’t really shrunk back so my bladder still dodgy and a lot of abdominal pain. Having hysterectomy next month.

Unfortunately can’t have keyhole as uterus too bulky. Took one month of Prostap to induce menopause but couldn’t cope with side effects so am taking my chances and accept the op is major.

I had an enormous fibroid, I could feel it when I was laying down and it caused horrendous bleeding and I felt constantly exhausted.
I opted for a hysterectomy but retained my ovaries as I was early 40s at the time. Recovery was long but straightforward and I've never looked back!

I had fibroids, I bled from 2nd jan to 15 April and as I used a moon cup I was able to work out that I lost around 2 litres of blood a month. I was exhausted and at my wits end. I rocked up at the gynae adamant that I wanted a hysterectomy as I could barely even leave the house. He said ok, but we need to try you on zoladex first, you need to take it for 3-6 months but I reckon you will be surprised..... and he was right. It's a monthly or three monthly implant injection into your tummy that blocks your oestrogen and is also used to treat some prostate and breast cancers . Fibroids feed off oestrogen and this makes them grow. I was dubious but 3 weeks after the 1st jab I stopped bleeding. I haven't bled since and likely never will again .I have one jab left and then my body will most likely remain in this induced menopause for ever. I have had hot flushes and was convinced that every bit of moisture down there was a return of the bleeding but it's been delightfully reliable and did exactly what he said it would do. And he was right, I don't want a hysterectomy!