What is it?
Myomectomy is a surgical procedure where fibroids are cut out of the uterus. During myomectomy, the largest fibroid is usually removed while the remainder of the uterus is left in place. Myomectomy has traditionally been offered to women who are looking to maintain fertility; however, the largest analysis on fibroid treatment to date showed that there is very little evidence of improved fertility with myomectomy when compared to uterine fibroid embolization. Most studies demonstrate similar fertility rates after fibroid embolization and myomectomy.
Myomectomy is not an option for many women. When fibroids are numerous or large, myomectomy becomes a far more challenging procedure which can result in increased blood loss and incomplete treatment. During a myomectomy, only a few fibroids are usually removed; therefore, this treatment is not ideal when numerous fibroids are present.
One of the major advantages of UFE is the ability to treat numerous fibroids with a single procedure. The average affected uterus has six to seven fibroids.
Although myomectomy is a smaller surgical procedure when compared to hysterectomy, there is still a significant recovery time. Most women state that it takes approximately 6 weeks to recover from myomectomy. With both myomectomy and UFE, there is approximately a 20% chance of requiring a second procedure to complete fibroid treatment. Although the chance of requiring a second procedure is similar between the two, myomectomy carries a longer recovery time and a higher complication rate.
