Abdominal Myomectomy

“A fibroid is a solid mass of smooth muscle held together by fibrous tissue,” explains Dr. Comrie. “It is estrogen-sensitive and usually not cancerous. It is one of the most common tumors found in women’s pelvic area.”

Uterine fibroids (also known as myomas) tend to run in families and studies have shown that compared to the general population, black women are at greater risk for fibroids. While many fibroids do not need treatment, others can cause abnormal uterine bleeding, pressure, pain and other symptoms that require some type of treatment.

“Too often patients don’t know they have fibroids until they land in a doctor’s office or in an emergency room because of excessive bleeding, pain, and/or a swollen abdomen or in the process of losing a pregnancy,” says Dr. Comrie.

One treatment is the removal of the entire uterus (hysterectomy) but many women are looking for alternatives to hysterectomy if they wish to have children or simply do not want to lose their uterus. In this case, a myomectomy may be an option.