Fibroids and Fertility
Fibroids are benign lumps of tissue made up of uterine cell tissues. They can grow around and inside your uterus, and are very common – up to 80% of women in their 40s have at least one fibroid.
There are three types of fibroids:
- Intramural fibroids are the most common, and grow inside the uterine wall
- Subserosal fibroids are often much larger and grow outside the uterus
- Submucosal fibroids are more rare, and grow on the inside of your uterus
Fibroids can change the shape of your uterus so they can affect fertility. Research indicates that if you are having trouble conceiving naturally, removal of fibroids could increase your fertility by as much as 70%. Fibroids smaller than 7cm and not impacting upon the endometrial cavity need not be removed.
How do you treat fibroids?
Fibroids can be diagnosed by your fertility specialist. They can then be removed in Melbourne IVF’s Day Surgery laparoscopically, using several small incisions and a small camera. You need to allow for a few days of recovery. Larger fibroids generally require open abdominal surgery.
