As many as 222 fibroids were successfully cleared from the uterus of a 34-year-old woman in Bengaluru without getting the uterus removed. Patient Ritika Acharya suffered from abnormal menstrual bleeding, which was later found to be because of multiple fibroids of various sizes in the uterus. Doctors said the fibroids had completely distorted the anatomy of the uterus.
What are Uterine Fibroids?
Uterine fibroids are non-cancerous growths, made up of muscle and fibrous tissue, and can vary in size and shape. The symptoms include pelvic pain, abnormal menstrual cycles, at times even abortions, premature delivery, a bulge in the tummy, besides urine and motion disturbance.
These fibroids sometimes go away by themselves. But if left untreated, they can grow in size and numbers. This results in the symptoms getting worse causing further complications, including anaemia and infertility.
When Acharya walked into the hospital, she had a huge stomach, which resembled an 8-month pregnant woman. Medical diagnosis revealed a bulge in her lower abdomen with fibrosis. A myomectomy (surgery) was performed on her led by Dr Shanthala Thuppanna, Senior Consultant & Head-Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Sakra World Hospital. They removed 222 fibroids in total, which included a large cauliflower-shaped fibroid measuring up to 20X20X10 cm and several others of different sizes, weighing 2,250 grams in total.
‘Complicated’ surgery
Elaborating on the complexities of the surgery, Dr Thuppanna said, “Uterine fibroids are common in approximately 40-50% women. But only a few have symptoms. In Ritika’s case, she was anaemic with heavy bleeding despite practising yoga daily and maintaining an active lifestyle. She waited for about a year to undergo the surgery due to the pandemic.”
“Her fibroids, of various sizes like a large cauliflower shape located below the urinary bladder and ureter, were spread throughout the left side of her uterus. They were very close to important parts in the abdomen, which made the surgery further complicated. Fibroids appeared like a bunch of grapes one after the other. We were able to remove all these fibroids in her uterus that appeared compressed in the MRI scan, without any complications with a four-and-a-half-hour surgical procedure,” the doctor added.
Acharya is now visibly relieved and full of positivity. “For the past two years, these fibroids had been growing inside my body, while the symptoms went unnoticed. It still sounds unbelievable that as many as 222 fibroids were there in my uterus, which made my stomach look bloated and left me in unbearable pain. I’m happy to be back on my feet now and ready to explore the world,” she said.
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