New uterus-preserving treatments are helping women avoid major surgery and reclaim their quality of life
DR IRSHAD AHMAD BANDAY
For years, Shazia believed her suffering was simply something she had to live with. Her menstrual periods were so heavy that she planned her life around them. Family gatherings, travel, and even routine workdays became stressful. She was constantly tired, often dizzy, and found herself searching for the nearest washroom wherever she went.
“It happens to all women,” she was told repeatedly.
But it wasn’t normal.
Like millions of women worldwide, Shazia was living with uterine fibroids—a common condition that often goes undiagnosed for years despite causing symptoms that can dramatically affect a woman’s physical health, emotional well-being, relationships, and confidence.
The good news is that treatment has changed dramatically over the past decade. Women today are no longer limited to major surgery. Modern, minimally invasive procedures such as Uterine Artery Embolization (UAE) and Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) are offering effective alternatives that can preserve the uterus, shorten recovery times, and help women return quickly to their normal lives.
Yet awareness remains surprisingly low.
The Condition Most Women Have Heard About, But Few Truly Understand
Uterine fibroids are non-cancerous growths that develop from the muscular wall of the uterus. They are incredibly common. In fact, by the age of 50, the majority of women will develop fibroids, although many may never know they have them.
Despite being called “tumours,” fibroids are almost always benign and only exceptionally rarely associated with cancer.
Some fibroids are tiny and never cause trouble. Others can grow large enough to distort the uterus, compress nearby organs, and significantly interfere with daily life.
Many women are surprised to learn that a uterus affected by multiple large fibroids can become as enlarged as that of a woman several months pregnant.
When Should a Woman Suspect Fibroids?
The problem is that fibroids often develop slowly, and women gradually adapt to symptoms that should never be considered normal. One of the biggest misconceptions in women’s health is the belief that heavy periods are simply something to tolerate.
They are not.
If periods are so heavy that they interfere with work, social activities, travel, sleep, or everyday functioning, a medical evaluation is warranted.
Common symptoms include:
- Heavy or prolonged menstrual bleeding.
- Passage of large blood clots.
- Pelvic heaviness or pressure.
- Lower abdominal swelling.
- Frequent urination.
- Constipation.
- Backache or pelvic pain.
- Difficulty conceiving.
- Recurrent pregnancy loss in selected cases.
Many women develop significant iron deficiency anaemia because of chronic blood loss. They may feel exhausted, short of breath, or mentally drained without realising the underlying cause lies in their uterus. As doctors, we often encounter women who have suffered these symptoms for years before seeking help.
Why Do Fibroids Develop?
This remains one of the most common questions asked in clinics. The honest answer is that medicine still does not completely understand why some women develop fibroids while others do not. What we do know is that female hormones—particularly estrogen and progesterone—play an important role in stimulating fibroid growth.
Genetics also matter. Women whose mothers or sisters have fibroids are more likely to develop them. Age, obesity, high blood pressure, and certain lifestyle and environmental factors may contribute as well. What is important to understand is that fibroids are not caused by infections, lifestyle choices, sexual activity, or anything a woman did wrong.
The Emotional Burden Nobody Talks About
Medical discussions often focus on bleeding and pain, but fibroids affect far more than the uterus. Many women describe feelings of embarrassment and isolation. Some avoid travelling because of the fear of heavy bleeding. Others stop participating in social events.
Many become anxious about fertility or future pregnancies. Some struggle with body image because large fibroids can cause visible abdominal enlargement. These effects are real and deserve recognition. Women’s health is not merely about treating organs; it is about restoring quality of life.
Diagnosing Fibroids Has Become Easier Than Ever
Fortunately, diagnosing fibroids is usually straightforward. An ultrasound examination often provides the first clue and remains the most commonly used investigation.
For women considering advanced treatment options, MRI has become an invaluable tool. It allows doctors to precisely map the size, number, location, and blood supply of fibroids, helping determine the most suitable treatment strategy.
Does Every Fibroid Need Treatment?
Not necessarily. Many fibroids never cause symptoms and may simply be monitored over time.
Treatment becomes important when fibroids lead to:
- Heavy bleeding.
- Anaemia.
- Pelvic pain.
- Pressure symptoms.
- Infertility concerns.
- Rapid growth.
- Significant reduction in quality of life.
The goal of treatment is not merely to remove fibroids—it is to improve a woman’s wellbeing.
Beyond Surgery: A New Era in Fibroid Treatment
For generations, women with troublesome fibroids were often told that surgery was their only option. While surgical procedures such as myomectomy and hysterectomy continue to play an important role, modern medicine now offers effective alternatives for carefully selected patients.
Among the most significant advances is Uterine Artery Embolisation (UAE).
Uterine Artery Embolisation: Treating Fibroids From Within
UAE represents one of the most important developments in minimally invasive women’s healthcare. Performed by an Interventional Radiologist, the procedure treats fibroids by blocking their blood supply.
Using image guidance, a tiny catheter is introduced through a small puncture, usually in the wrist or groin. The catheter is carefully navigated to the uterine arteries, and microscopic particles are injected to reduce blood flow to the fibroids.
Without an adequate blood supply, fibroids gradually shrink. The uterus itself continues to receive blood through alternative pathways. What makes UAE particularly attractive is that multiple fibroids can be treated simultaneously without removing the uterus.
For many women, symptoms improve dramatically over the following months. Heavy bleeding decreases, pelvic pressure lessens, energy levels return, and everyday life becomes easier. Most patients go home within a day and return to routine activities far sooner than after major surgery.
Radiofrequency Ablation: Precision Treatment for Selected Fibroids
Another promising option is Radiofrequency Ablation, or RFA. Instead of blocking blood flow, RFA directly targets fibroid tissue using controlled heat energy.
Guided by imaging, a specialised probe is placed into the fibroid. Radiofrequency energy is then delivered to destroy the fibroid from the inside while minimising damage to surrounding healthy tissue.
The treated fibroid subsequently shrinks over time. Women are increasingly attracted to RFA because it is minimally invasive, involves less pain, requires shorter hospital stays, and allows a quicker return to normal life. For carefully selected patients, it can be an excellent alternative to surgery.
Which Treatment Is Right?
There is no universal answer. Every fibroid is different, and every woman has different priorities.
Some women wish to preserve fertility. Others want the shortest possible recovery. Some have multiple fibroids, while others have only one dominant lesion.
This is why treatment decisions should be individualised and made after careful consultation with both gynaecologists and interventional radiologists. The best treatment is not necessarily the newest treatment—it is the one that best suits the patient’s needs.
Breaking the Silence Around Fibroids
Perhaps the greatest challenge is not treatment. It is awareness. Far too many women continue to suffer in silence because they assume their symptoms are normal. They are not. Persistent heavy bleeding, pelvic pressure, unexplained anaemia, abdominal enlargement, or fertility concerns deserve medical attention.
Modern medicine has provided women with more choices than ever before. Procedures that once required major surgery can now, in many cases, be performed through tiny punctures with faster recovery and preservation of the uterus.
No woman should have to organize her life around heavy bleeding or chronic pelvic discomfort. The message is simple: if symptoms are affecting your daily life, seek help. Fibroids are common, they are treatable, and today there are more options available than ever before. Sometimes, the first step toward feeling better is simply knowing that you do not have to keep suffering in silence.
(The Author is a Senior Consultant, Interventional Radiology, Paras Health, Srinagar)