Fibroids & Pregnancy

Between 20 and 30% of women in their childbearing years have them; fibroid tumors. It's possible they don't even know it.

"A fibroid is a benign mass that occurs in the uterus. And it's monoclonal, meaning its one cell that replicates itself over and over an over again. It can be small like a piece of rice or large like a cantaloupe," says Dr. Sarah DiGiorgi, ob/gyn on Lee Memorial Health System's medical staff.

Fibroids may present problems in pregnancy. First in conceiving.

"If there are a number of fibroids that are all within the lining of the uterus called the endometrium and it can make it difficulty for pregnancy to implant. The second complication, if they are growing near the tube or where the tube comes in from the uterus it can kind of block off that entrance and the sperm can't enter," says Dr. DiGiorgi.

If a woman becomes pregnant, they may impact her ability to carry.

"If they have a very large fibroid that can become a very large problem later on in the pregnancy. Sometimes fibroids can grow to a certain size and start to die in the center and that can cause different types of issues. And so depending on the clinical situation some patients are recommended to have their fibroid removed not because it might impact their ability to get pregnant, because it may make their pregnancy slightly more complicated, says Dr. DiGiorgi.

Should they stay or should they go? It's a question many women with fibroids ask themselves-especially if they're considering a family. A myomectomy is a surgery that removes fibroids without removing your options.

"For people who are having pain or discomfort having a myomectomy can allow you to preserve your fertility so if you're thinking 'I may want to have children some day in the future' the myomectomy allows you to still maintain your uterus but treat the problem that's is present in this time," says Dr.DiGiorgi.

The procedure can be performed robotically, which promotes faster healing with less downtime.

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Lee Memorial Health System in Fort Myers, FL is the largest network of medical care facilities in Southwest Florida and is highly respected for its expertise, innovation and quality of care. For nearly a century, we've been providing our community with everything from primary care treatment to highly specialized care services and robotic assisted surgeries.

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