Fibroid awareness means knowing more about an extremely prevalent GYN condition. Eighty percent of all women will develop fibroids by age 50. That number balloons up to nearly 90 percent for African-American women, who are three times as likely to be negatively affected by them. For many African-American women, larger fibroids with heavy bleeding can develop at a younger age.
The sheer number of women with fibroids means that this should be one of the best-understood conditions, and yet, so many women are unsure about how it can affect their lives.
“Too often, women with fibroids are told that if fibroids don’t bother them, then they do not need to be treated,” said Natalya Danilyants, MD. “Or they are told to wait and watch them before seeking removal. This is the wrong approach. Fibroids continue to grow, and even if women don’t experience symptoms that are more common, they can cause damage to surrounding organs, or distort the uterus making it hard for women to conceive or carry a baby to term. It is important for women to have fibroids removed early so that do not grow large and cause these kinds of problems.”
Learn more about fibroids at a glance.
There are two laparoscopic surgery options for fibroid removal at The Center for Innovative GYN Care based in DC, Maryland and Northern Virginia. LAAM fibroid removal to maintain fertility and DualPortGYN for hysterectomy.
The LAAM minimally invasive technique for myomectomy is an important development, as it allows the surgeons to feel all of the fibroids. This cannot be accomplished by a robot or with standard laparoscopy. CIGC patients return to themselves in about 2 weeks. LAAM is performed as an outpatient procedure, so women return home the same day. The incisions are small, so recovery is typically two weeks or less.
The LAAM technique developed by the minimally invasive GYN surgeons at CIGC uses 2 small incisions, one 5 MM incision at the belly button, and another 1.5 inch incision at the bikini line. Through the lower 1.5 inch incision, the CIGC surgeon can repair the uterus so that women who wish to maintain fertility will have a better chance of conceiving and carrying a child to term. Using advanced minimally invasive surgical techniques, LAAM allows the surgeons to thoroughly remove all fibroids, no matter the size, location or number, and the uterus is repaired by hand.
A DualPortGYN hysterectomy uses just two tiny 5 mm incisions, one at the belly button, and the other at the bikini line. A minimally invasive hysterectomy is recommended for women who have abnormal bleeding and pelvic pain due to adenomyosis and who are finished with child bearing. While fibroids can be removed with a minimally invasive myomectomy, additional fibroids are likely to grow. The only cure for fibroids is a hysterectomy.
LAAM and DualPortGYN use an advanced technique called retroperitoneal dissection. The surgeon is able to see the entire pelvic cavity, and using bilateral uterine artery occlusion, blood loss is minimal. This is an advancement over other procedures, as they cannot control for blood loss, which limits the size and number of fibroids that can be removed.
Both LAAM and DualPortGYN procedures provide:
Learn more about CIGC minimally invasive fibroid removal.
Thanks to the efforts of The White Dress Project, across the U.S. increasing numbers of states are recognizing July as Fibroids Awareness Month.
Women who have fibroids often shy away from wearing white dresses due to the unpredictability of heavy bleeding that is often a symptom of the condition. The organization uses the white dress as a symbol of living a life free from that worry. More than 80 percent of women will have fibroids by age 50. The rate for African American women is approximately 94 percent, with the fibroids occurring more frequently, with more of them, and tending to grow larger than fibroids in women of other races. Fibroids can cause infertility or create difficult pregnancies, miscarriage or preterm births.
The CIGC state-of-the-art specialists are available at three locations in the DC metro area. Virginia patients can visit the Reston, VA location, and Saturday appointments are available. Maryland offices are located in Rockville, MD and Annapolis, MD.
CIGC is dedicated to providing information and materials for women to help navigate the complicated healthcare system. The CIGC founders, minimally invasive GYN surgical specialists Dr. Paul MacKoul, MD and Dr. Natalya Danilyants, MD, developed their advanced GYN surgical techniques using only two small incisions with patients’ well-being in mind. Dr. Rupen Baxi, MD is a CIGC-trained minimally invasive GYN specialist with extensive fellowship training and a respected speaker and researcher.
Their personalized approach to care helps patients understand their condition and the recommended treatment so that they can have confidence from the very start. Our surgeons have performed over 20,000 GYN procedures and are constantly finding better ways to improve outcomes for patients.
Book a consultation today with Paul MacKoul MD, Natalya Danilyants MD or Rupen Baxi, MD.
Dr. Paul MacKoul Reviews: Vitals | RateMDs | Google | Wellness | UCompare
Dr. Natalya Danilyants Reviews: Vitals | RateMDs | Google | Wellness | UCompare
Dr. Rupen Baxi Reviews: Vitals | RateMDs | Google | HealthGrades | WebMD
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