MYOMECTOMY

What is Myomectomy?

Myomectomy is the surgical removal of fibroids from the uterus. It allows the uterus to be left in place and, for some women, makes pregnancy more likely than before. Myomectomy is the preferred fibroid treatment for women who want to become pregnant. After myomectomy, your chances of pregnancy may be improved but are not guaranteed.

Before myomectomy, shrinking fibroids with gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogue (GnRH-a) therapy may reduce blood loss from the surgery. GnRH-a therapy lowers the amount of estrogen your body makes. If you have bleeding from a fibroid, GnRH-a therapy can also improve anemia before surgery by stopping uterine bleeding for several months.

Abdominal Myomectomy

Also known as an "open" myomectomy, an abdominal myomectomy is a major surgical procedure. It involves making an incision through the skin on the lower abdomen, known as a "bikini cut," and removing the fibroids from the wall of the uterus. The uterine muscle is then sewn back together using several layers of stitches. You will be asleep during the procedure.

Blood loss during the surgery may require a blood transfusion. Some women store their blood before the operation in order to receive their own blood rather than blood from the blood bank.

Most women spend two nights in the hospital and four to six weeks recovering at home. After the procedure, you will have a four-inch horizontal scar near your pubic hair or "bikini" line.

After a myomectomy, your doctor may recommend a Caesarean section (C-section) for the delivery of future pregnancies. This is to reduce the chance that your uterus could open apart during labor. The need for C-section will depend on how deeply the fibroids were embedded in the wall of the uterus at the time of surgical removal.