For the estimated 15 million women in the U.S. who endure the symptoms of uterine fibroids, like painful and prolonged periods, Dr. Timothy Chase of Novant Health Glen Meade OB-GYN in Wilmington has a message: “You don’t have to suffer unnecessarily with these problems.”
Fibroids, non-cancerous growths inside the uterus, are the most common cause of hysterectomy surgery, or removal of the uterus. Fibroids account for as many as half of the 600,000 hysterectomies performed in the United States each year.
But, Chase said, with newer and less invasive surgeries available, women with fibroids can lose the painful symptoms while avoiding traditional hysterectomy surgery. They have a quick recovery, getting back on their feet in just a few days.
Two minimally invasive outpatient procedures, Acessa and Sonata, use radiofrequency ablation (RFA) to treat fibroids. The fibroid cell tissues die when they are heated, causing the fibroids to shrivel and shrink, then eventually be harmlessly absorbed by the healthy surrounding tissues. Most women experience the most symptom improvement within three months and continued improvement for the first year.
Doctors offering the Acessa or Sonata RFA fibroid treatment procedure:
Charlotte-
Dr. Stephanie Barbadora-Froelich, Novant Health Providence OB/GYN - Providence
Dr. James Bohmer, Novant Health Minimally Invasive GYN Surgery - SouthPark
Dr. Tiffani Jones, Novant Health Providence OB/GYN - Providence
Dr. Gregory Reynolds, Novant Health Bradford Clinic OB/GYN - Matthews
Dr. Scott Schneider, Novant Health Minimally Invasive GYN Surgery - SouthPark
Dr. Hillary Robinowitz-Elins, Novant Health Harbor Pointe OB/GYN – Huntersville or Langtree
Dr. Jessica Van Kooten, Novant Health Harbor Pointe OB/GYN - Huntersville, Langtree or Denver
Wilmington-
Winston-Salem-
Dr. Joseph Barker, Novant Health WomanCare - Winston-Salem
Dr. Brianna Dix, Novant Health WomanCare - Winston-Salem
Dr. Haley Landwehr, Novant Health WomanCare – Clemmons and Winston-Salem
Dr. A.J. Lewis, Novant Health Valaoras & Lewis OB/GYN
Dr. Melissa Meyer, Novant Health WomanCare - Winston-Salem
Dr. Natalie Rochester, Novant Health WomanCare - Kernersville and Winston-Salem
Dr. Laura Ramsay, Novant Health WomanCare - Kernersville and Winston-Salem
Dr. Kayla Smith, Novant Health WomanCare - Winston-Salem
Dr. Edward Rives, Novant Health WomanCare - Winston-Salem
Dr. Jaleema Speaks, Novant Health WomanCare - Kernersville and Winston-Salem
Wondering if an RFA procedure is the right move for treating your fibroids? Your Novant Health OB-GYN can help address any questions you have.
In the meantime, here are answers to five common questions to help get your conversation started.
1. How common are uterine fibroids and what are their symptoms?
Fibroids are a very frequently occurring condition, with as many as 80% of U.S. women experiencing fibroids by the time they are 50. They are different from cancerous tumors and do not typically lead to cancer.
Fibroids can cause a range of uncomfortable symptoms, including:
2. What are the advantages of RFA?
RFA is a targeted procedure, so it destroys only the fibroids, while preserving healthy tissue surrounding them. It is an outpatient procedure, meaning you don’t have to stay overnight in the hospital. The average RFA surgery takes around 90 to 120 minutes, depending on the location and number of fibroids.
Dr. Hillary Robinowitz-Elins completes the Acessa RFA procedure at Novant Health Huntersville Medical Center for patients of Novant Health Harbor Pointe OB/GYN – Poplar Tent in north Charlotte. She said it’s effective at treating the two most common types of fibroids – intramural (within muscle of the uterus), and subserosal (right under the “skin” of the uterus). Acessa can also be combined with hysteroscopic myomectomy, called Myosure, for submucosal fibroids (fibroids pushing into or already in the uterine cavity).
“Acessa provides more access as well as safer access to fibroids,” she said. “We also are avoiding painful uterine incisions, injury to normal uterine tissue, and avoiding a difficult recovery from traditional myomectomy.”