The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Fibroid Care Centre at Nordica, Dr Abayomi Ajayi has said that in the treatment of fibroid, not every woman requires open surgery. This is because, he said, it is usually bloody and comes with some complications.
Speaking during a virtual event yesterday, which will dovetail into a physical event in Abuja called “Hangout on Infertility and Fibroids,” on Saturday, June 11 2022 by 3:00 p.m. at Valencia Hotel, 44, Blantyre Crescent, Wuse, Abuja, the health expert, who said 70 to 80 per cent of women that are below the age of 50 years are at risk of fibroid, also stressed that not every fibroid needs to be treated.
He said: “Fibroids are benign masses or growth in or on the uterus. They are so common. Also, it is not every fibroid that needs to be treated. The fact that you find out that you have fibroids, it is not the end of the world. Even if you need treatment, in 2022, there are so many treatment options that are available that do not involve surgery.
“There are some drugs that can be used to treat fibroid, but you cannot use drugs if you still want to have a baby because the drugs will not allow you to get pregnant. But it can be used for people who do not want to continue having children. There is also what we call High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) treatment for fibroid, which has been described as the safest and most effective way to remove the fibroid, with minimal risk.
“People who see their menstrual periods earlier in life are also more predisposed to the fibroid. People who are using birth control pills are also at risk of having fibroid.
“However, the most important factor is the family history. The commonest symptom is the menstrual flow-when you notice that the number of sanitary towels you use has increased or your menstrual flow increases by days. Some people even bleed between periods.
“For some, they just notice that there is swelling in their abdomen and then sometimes it becomes painful. Also, because the swelling compresses organs that are nearby to the uterus, a woman could start urinating very frequently or not be able to urinate at all. Some have constipation because of the presence of the fibroid.”