“Fibroids are the most common benign, meaning non-cancerous, tumors of the uterus. They grow from a single muscle cell and they are hard, small-to-large tumors and some of the symptoms can be minimal,” says Cherie Hill, MD, an obstetrician and gynecologist with Emory Healthcare, and assistant professor in the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics at Emory. “However, other fibroids can cause heavy, painful periods.” 

Hill goes on to say, “Some of the fibroids can get so large they push on parts of the abdomen like the bladder — causing pressure and often increasing urination. They can also push on reproductive organs, which can cause pain during intercourse.”

Hill says this new approach is a great option for patients who have fibroids that are causing pain and heavy bleeding but want to keep their uterus intact. However, the procedure is not recommended for women who want to become pregnant because there is limited testing for this population.

Following the procedure, most patients see a decrease in heavy bleeding. Within three to six months, much of the pain is alleviated as well. Hill says recovery from the procedure takes a week or two, compared to six to eight weeks following a traditional myomectomy — a surgery where a much larger incision is made in the abdomen to remove fibroids.

Simmons says her ultrasound revealed she had three fibroids: two the size of a grape and one the size of a plum, as well as a cyst on her ovary. Now, the woman who weathered many storms is experiencing brighter, healthier, pain-free days.

Learn more about office-based procedures and access women’s health services at Emory Healthcare.