Dr. Paul MacKoul, MD Addresses Fibroids and Infertility
A Safer Laparoscopic Fibroid Removal Surgery for Women Who Wish to Conceive
The connection between fibroids and fertility is important to understand as couples consider infertility treatments. Fibroids are non-cancerous growths that originate from the uterus and require estrogen and progesterone - the female hormones - to grow. They affect around 80% of all women and some struggle with heavy bleeding & pain. Fibroids can disrupt the normal pattern of a woman’s reproductive cycle, and interfere with conceiving a child.
THE CONNECTION BETWEEN FIBROIDS AND FERTILITY
There is a chance that uterine fibroids can have a negative effect on a woman’s ability to conceive. For fertility, the location of the fibroid, and not necessarily the size, is important to understand. The two type of fibroids that need to be surgically removed to allow conception are submucosal (in the uterine cavity) and intramural (within the uterine muscle).
Submucosal fibroids - fibroids in the cavity of the uterus - can be a cause of infertility. These fibroids can prevent the embryo from attaching to the uterine lining, and thus get in the way of conceiving or result in miscarriage.
Intramural fibroids - fibroids in the muscle - can prevent conception by obstructing the fallopian tubes, which results in difficulty to get pregnant. Blockage of the tube will not allow the embryo to pass into the uterine cavity, where it could successfully implant.
Fibroids can also cause problems during pregnancy like: placental abruption (detachment of the placenta, causing bleeding and loss of pregnancy), abnormal growth of the pregnancy (fibroids affect blood flow, preventing the baby from growing properly), pre-term labor and birth (prevent normal growth leading to contractions and early labor).
SURGICAL FIBROID TREATMENT INCREASESÂ SUCCESSÂ RATESÂ WITH FERTILITYÂ TREATMENTSÂ ORÂ NATURALÂ CONCEPTION
Welcoming a baby is a big decision for any couple. Fertility treatments can be a huge investment and it is important to research your options and increase chances of success. Women often discover that they have a treatable GYN condition like fibroids or endometriosis that is getting in the way. If these conditions are treated early with minimally invasive GYN surgery, the success rates of natural conception and IVF treatments are higher, and there is improvement in carrying a child to term.Â
"The latest minimally invasive treatments allow women with fibroids to avoid traditional surgery or a hysterectomy." says Dr. Paul MacKoul, MD of CIGC. "New techniques requiring advanced physician skills now allow larger fibroids to be removed laparoscopically."
The Center for Innovative GYN Care provides a safer fibroid removal surgery for women who wish to retain their uterus for fertility. LAAM myomectomy is Laparoscopic Assisted Abdominal Myomectomy and it is a fusion of the best parts of laparoscopic and open procedures. Using a very small incision at the bikini line, and an even smaller incision at the belly button, minimally invasive GYN surgeons of CIGC are able to safely remove fibroids without damaging the uterus. LAAM procedures can be performed on any patient regardless of fibroid size, number, or location, in an outpatient setting.
"For women who want to have children, a myomectomy is one of the treatment options available because it can preserve fertility," Dr. MacKoul says. "For women with larger fibroids, we must be especially careful during the surgery to minimize the risk of scar tissue in the uterus, which can hinder pregnancy in the future."
It is very important that a skilled GYN surgeon addresses your gynecologic condition to correctly diagnose & treat the possible causes of infertility. At CIGC, we focus on highly innovative surgical techniques, and we NEVER use power morcellation in our procedures. The least invasive approach, with the shortest recovery time, will help you start your family sooner.
 Schedule a consult to go over your options at The Center for Innovative GYN Care with our highly trained fibroid specialists: Paul MacKoul MD and Natalya Danilyants MD. You can do so online or by calling 888-SURGERY. Out-of-town patients can also benefit from groundbreaking minimally invasive procedures at CIGC: learn about our travel program.
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