The short answer: Fibroids are common, non-cancerous lumps in the muscle of the womb (often searched as bachedani me ganth, बच्चेदानी में गांठ, or rasoli). Many fibroids cause no problems and need only check-ups. When they cause heavy periods, pain or pressure, the options are medicines to control bleeding, procedures that shrink or remove fibroids, removing only the fibroids (myomectomy, which keeps the womb) or removing the womb (hysterectomy). The right choice depends on your symptoms, the size and position of the fibroids, and whether you want to keep your womb or have children. For what fibroids are and how they are found, see our page on understanding fibroids. Dr. Nishtha Tripathi Patel sees patients at Sterling Hospitals (Sindhubhavan Road), KD Hospital and Welcare Speciality Hospital in Ahmedabad.
On this page
- Fibroid Treatment in Ahmedabad: Choosing the Right Option
- Medical Management
- Myomectomy: Removing Fibroids, Preserving the Uterus
- Hysterectomy: The Definitive Treatment
Fibroid Treatment in Ahmedabad: Choosing the Right Option
The management of uterine fibroids is highly individualised. The key variables are the severity of symptoms, the size and location of fibroids, the woman’s desire to preserve fertility or the uterus, and her overall health. There is no single correct treatment — the right choice depends on a careful discussion between patient and specialist.
Size alone does not decide whether you need an operation. A fibroid that causes no symptoms can often simply be watched with an occasional scan, whatever its size, while a small fibroid inside the womb cavity can cause heavy bleeding and may be worth removing. Fibroids usually shrink after menopause. A fibroid that grows quickly, or any new growth or bleeding after menopause, should be checked by a specialist.
Medical Management
Medicines can reduce heavy bleeding and pain, but they do not make fibroids go away permanently:
- Tranexamic acid and NSAIDs — reduce bleeding volume and pain during periods; non-hormonal; useful for women with mild-moderate symptoms
- Combined oral contraceptive pill — reduces blood loss but does not shrink fibroids
- Levonorgestrel IUS (Mirena) — very effective for reducing heavy bleeding, particularly in smaller fibroids; not suitable if uterine cavity is significantly distorted
- GnRH agonists — injections that cause a temporary, reversible menopause; they can shrink fibroids noticeably over about 3 months, but cause menopause-like side effects; used pre-operatively to shrink fibroids before surgery; not a long-term solution as fibroids regrow on cessation
- Ulipristal acetate — selective progesterone receptor modulator; can reduce bleeding and fibroid size, but rare cases of serious liver injury have been reported, so in Europe its use is now restricted to selected women who cannot have surgery, with liver blood tests during treatment
Options without major surgery: fibroids inside the womb cavity can often be removed through the vagina with a telescope (hysteroscopic removal), without any cuts on the tummy. Some women who wish to avoid an operation may be offered uterine artery embolisation, in which a radiologist blocks the blood supply to the fibroids through a tiny tube; it is not suitable for everyone, and its effect on future pregnancy is less certain.
Myomectomy: Removing Fibroids, Preserving the Uterus
Myomectomy — surgical removal of fibroids while leaving the uterus intact — is usually advised for women who wish to keep their womb or have children in future. It can be performed laparoscopically (keyhole), hysteroscopically (for submucosal fibroids via the cervix), or as an open operation for very large or numerous fibroids. Laparoscopic myomectomy usually means less blood loss, a shorter hospital stay and a faster recovery than open surgery, but it is not suitable for every size, number or position of fibroids. After a myomectomy, some women are advised to have a caesarean section in a future pregnancy, depending on the operation.
Very rarely, a lump that looks like a fibroid turns out to be a cancer of the womb muscle (a sarcoma). Scans before surgery, and the way the fibroid is removed, take this small risk into account; this is one reason a fibroid that grows quickly or appears after menopause should be assessed by a specialist.
Recurrence is a realistic possibility — fibroids can regrow from microscopic seeds in the uterine muscle — and women undergoing myomectomy should understand this before surgery.
Hysterectomy: The Definitive Treatment
For women who have completed their family, a hysterectomy (removal of the uterus) permanently ends fibroid-related bleeding, and fibroids cannot come back once the womb has been removed. After a hysterectomy you can no longer become pregnant, and whether the ovaries are kept is a separate decision discussed with you. Many women can have keyhole surgery (laparoscopic, available at all three hospitals, or robotic, at Sterling Hospitals and KD Hospital), which usually means a shorter hospital stay, less blood loss and a faster return to normal activities. Open (abdominal) surgery may be needed for a very large womb.
Before your visit, this guide on preparing for a specialist appointment lists the scans, reports and questions worth bringing, such as your ultrasound report and recent blood count.
For fibroid treatment in Ahmedabad, contact Dr. Nishtha Tripathi Patel at +91 76988 00333.