What is a uterine fibroid?
Uterine fibroids are a disease of the uterine muscle commonly found in women aged around 35 years and older. Uterine fibroids may not be malignant, and the growth of the fibroid lumps is mostly slow. In some cases, the fibroids may not grow or cause any symptoms. The size, location, and number of fibroid lumps vary considerably among patients. Some patients may have a single fibroid that is very large, filling the pelvic cavity, while others may have multiple fibroids. These fibroids may grow into the uterine cavity or protrude outward from the uterus, and patients may be able to feel the lumps.
Surgical treatment of uterine fibroids (Laparoscopic Myomectomy) can be divided into 2 main methods:
- Open abdominal surgery, which is commonly known, involves a relatively large surgical incision.
- Laparoscopic surgery in gynecology is divided into 2 main types: laparoscopy, which is surgery using a camera to view organs inside the abdominal cavity, especially in the pelvis, and hysteroscopy, which is surgery using a camera inside the uterine cavity. Doctors can insert a camera to diagnose and observe internal pathology alone or perform surgery at the same time if there are indications for surgery. The goal is to remove only the fibroid parts while preserving the uterus, which is important for fertility or for women who wish to keep their uterus. All fibroids can be removed, and the incisions are small, reducing adhesions in the abdominal and pelvic cavities. Laparoscopic gynecological surgery uses 3-4 small incisions on the abdomen, each about 5 millimeters, to insert the camera. Currently, there is further development with scarless surgery techniques.
However, laparoscopic surgery continues to advance from scar-hidden laparoscopic surgery to scarless laparoscopic surgery (Natural Orifice Transluminal Endoscopic Surgery).
Natural Orifice Transluminal Endoscopic Surgery
This method can be used to operate on ovarian tumors and ectopic pregnancies by inserting surgical instruments through the vagina, which is a natural opening of the body, without making incisions on the abdominal wall. This results in less postoperative pain, shorter recovery time, and importantly, no scars.
