NewsDetail
A surgical team from Al Khor Hospital (AKH), part of Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), has successfully performed a fibroidectomy - the surgical removal of fibroids on the womb - on a woman aged 33.
Seventeen uterine fibroids tumors of varying sizes were removed from the patient, who has been discharged from hospital and is now leading a normal life.
The team which performed the operation was led by Dr. Hussain Shararah, Senior Consultant and Head of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department at AKH, Dr. Nada Kheyon, Senior Specialist and Dr. Gazomati Dayabran, Specialist.
Stating the reasons for performing the surgical intervention on the patient, Dr. Shararah said: “The patient was suffering from a number of conditions including menorrhagia, abdominal and back pain, frequent urination, chronic constipation and an inability to conceive. An ultrasound examination revealed that she had 17 uterine fibroids tumors of different sizes from two to 12 cms. We therefore decided to perform a fibroidectomy surgery to relieve her of the pain she was experiencing and increase her chance of getting pregnant.”
Dr. Shararah explained that uterine fibroids are non-cancerous growths on the uterus that often appear during childbearing years. He added that the tumors do not pose any risk of becoming malignant as they do not transform into malignant tumors. He noted that many tumors which might appear during pregnancy normally shrink after delivery as the uterus returns to its normal size.
“Uterine fibroids include can be caused by heredity or hormonal factors, skin tone (darker skins are more susceptible), starting menstruation at an early age, high consumption of red meat, alcohol consumption and a low vegetable and fruit intake,” he explained.
According to Dr. Shararah, uterine fibroids can cause anemia as they can cause a lot of blood loss during menstruation. They can also cause pain during sexual intercourse, abdomen and uterus distension, and difficulty in passing urine.
Dr. Shararah added that uterine fibroids may sometimes cause miscarriage or difficulties in getting pregnant. He advised that it is preferable to get rid of these tumors before trying to get pregnant, especially if a woman has experienced frequent miscarriages. The fibroids may also lead to difficulties in the fertilization of the ovum, he added.
He said treatment of uterine fibroids include certain medications which can help in shrinking the fibroma (benign tumors that are composed of fibrous or connective tissue). He said that the tumors can also be removed using ultrasound techniques guided by magnetic resonance imaging as well as by laparoscopic or robotic surgery, adding that large and multiple fibroma are normally removed through conventional surgery.
