2017: Fibroids - Myomectomy vs. Hysterectomy (Keeping Ovaries)? 2017

Hi all,
Just had a third ultrasound, and it shows my uterus is now enlarged: 10.2 x 8.3 x 5.2, along with the addition of another small fibroid. So I've got three fibroids total, the biggest being a "large pedunculated posterior". I hear those are easier to remove?
So my question is should I be getting a myomectomy or hysterectomy? I can't make up my mind. Surgeon wants hysterectomy because he says it's most logical and his plan is to operate laporoscopically and remove uterus vaginally to minimize scarring (my request since I'm an actress/model). But my heart says keep my uterus, however I'm concerned it will may give me more problems in the future, or make for a harder surgery and more recovery time. Any advice?
Thanks in advance!

I had a myomectomy and it ws 3 yrs later I started having the heavy painful cycles again so I knew the fibroids had grown back. At the time i did the Myomectomy instead of a hysterectomy because I was 38 and was still holding out hope for having a child. That did not happen and do in hind sight I now wish I had just gotten rid of the uterus 6yrs ago. This last year has been so bad for me with cycles lasting up to 9 days. If you are young enough and still want to have children, have the myomectomy. It does work and was not too bad of a procedure. Just a little soreness for a few days. But if you don't want or can't have kids, I would recommend the hysterectomy - leaving your ovaries if at all possible.

Thanks for your story... I am 44 and already had two kids. I know I probably won't have more, but some part of me stills likes keeping the option. Also, I'm concerned about having sex without my uterus and cervix. I worry it won't be as pleasurable. I'm so full of worries. I have another doctor meeting this Tuesday, hopefully he'll help me make a good decision, although he is pushing for hysterectomy currently.

if you do decide on a hysterectomy, look into the LSH. it is laparoscopic (not vaginal) and you keep your cervix. i had one 11 years ago and i'm so happy that i did! i'm also glad that i kept my cervix (and ovaries).

Thanks for the reply! May I ask: how did your doctor get your uterus out? Did it need to be cut up first? Sorry for the gory questions! Just wondering why my surgeon is wanting to take out my uterus vaginally, I'm assuming smaller scars on my abdomen (per my request) ... He says the morcelator device is illegal now. Thanks again.

Harmonious, do you mind if i ask your age? have you had children? If you don't plan on having children, I would recommend removing the uterus. My Myomectomy worked, but only gave me relief from the fibroids for just under 4 years. As they grew back and got bigger I started having all the same problems as before. If I had known i was not going to have children, in hindsight I would have removed the uterus instead of doing the Myomectomy.

Hi there!
I'll be 45 in January...And I've had two kids. I just spoke with another doctor who doesn't feel the fibroids would come back substantially before menopause starts (making the risk of them returning a lot smaller)...My hysterectomy surgery is scheduled for the 24th this month, but I'm trying to get one more opinion beforehand! I really don't want to do the hyst unless I HAVE to...Just need to find a surgeon who can laporoscopically remove them, which is tough in my network. :/ I have one last lead which I'm pursuing right now.

	Quote:
Originally Posted by fibroids7370 Harmonious, do you mind if i ask your age? have you had children? If you don't plan on having children, I would recommend removing the uterus. My Myomectomy worked, but only gave me relief from the fibroids for just under 4 years. As they grew back and got bigger I started having all the same problems as before. If I had known i was not going to have children, in hindsight I would have removed the uterus instead of doing the Myomectomy.

What about UAE by an Interventional Radiologist? The fibroids die and shrink slowly. If they are not too big it might work better for your career. Your bleeding will stop immediately. Have you considered this option? My fibroid shrunk tremendously and I kept my uterus. Truly a wonderful option.

I was lucky enough to have a variety of types of fibroids. I tried the myomectomy route in 2020 in an attempt to avoid a hysterectomy. While it did help for a while, within a year, my bleeding and clotting were again long and heavy. Between the time of the myomectomy, I had 2 IUDs that my body did not accept. I also used norethindrone to help, which worked for a while, but not for long. Given my age, any other form of birth control was not advisable.

I do think that you should ask for a second opinion. In my experience, I do wish I had the hysterectomy sooner because not doing so did affect my quality of life. I was in fear of going anywhere because I never knew whether or not I was going to bleed through everything!

After my surgery, my doctor told me that there were many fibroids on my uterus that were not detected by my previous ultrasounds. My uterus was the size of a 20 week pregnancy and some fibroids were larger than a baseball.

In the end, you need to decide what is best for you and what you feel comfortable with.

UAE treats all fibroids at once by limiting blood flow to the uterus. Fibroids shrink and die. Do it while they are small for best results.