Overview of Uterine Fibroid Treatment Procedures; Review Article

Myomas are benign uterine tumours found in 40-70% of women of reproductive age. About 30% of them cause various ailments (bleeding, pain, infertility) that reduce the quality of women’s life. Uterine fibromas are the cause of 40-60% of hysterectomies. Different treatment methods are used depending on the size, number, location of myomas and the patient's preferences. Conservative treatment includes nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, hormonal therapies as contraceptives, GnRH agonists or antagonists, selective progesterone receptor modulators and levonorgestrel. Radiologic intervention types include are UAE (uterine artery embolization), high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), magnetic resonance (MRgFUS), and radiofrequency ablation (RFA). There are also more radical methods, namely surgical treatments, such as myomectomy (hysteroscopic, laparoscopic, robotic or abdominal) and hysterectomy. The oldest of methods is abdominal hysterectomy, while in some women, vaginal hysterectomy can be applied. Recently, laparoscopic or robotic hysterectomy (using the da Vinci robot) has been used. The latter procedures are associated with a better quality of life following treatment.