Myomectomy

U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals for obstetrics & gynecology

Nationally Ranked in Ob/Gyn

UT Southwestern Medical Center is ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the nation's top hospitals for obstetric and gynecological care.

Gynecologic surgeons at UT Southwestern Medical Center specialize in treating a wide variety of gynecologic conditions using the latest surgical procedures, including myomectomy to remove uterine fibroids while leaving the uterus intact.

Advanced Procedures to Remove Uterine Fibroids

Myomectomy is a procedure that removes uterine fibroids, benign (noncancerous) growths in the uterus. It can be performed through open surgery or minimally invasive methods. Because the surgeon removes the fibroids while leaving the uterus intact, myomectomy is a treatment option for women who want to preserve their fertility.

Gynecologic surgeons at UT Southwestern have specialized training in advanced surgical and minimally invasive procedures to treat uterine fibroids and other gynecologic conditions. Whenever possible, we use minimally invasive procedures to minimize pain and possible complications and shorten recovery time for our patients.

Reasons to Consider a Myomectomy

Many women with uterine fibroids experience no symptoms. When they do, medications, hormonal therapies, or other nonsurgical treatments sometimes help.

If these therapies don’t successfully manage severe symptoms, doctors might recommend myomectomy. Women might consider a myomectomy if they have severe symptoms, such as:

Bleeding between periods
Heavy and prolonged bleeding during periods, sometimes with blood clots
Pain during intercourse
Pelvic pain, especially during periods
Pregnancy problems
Subfertility or infertility
Frequent urination
Constipation

A myomectomy provides a treatment option for uterine fibroids that allows for future pregnancies. Another surgical option is a hysterectomy, surgery to remove the uterus, which can be appropriate for women who do not want to become pregnant in the future.

If medical therapies have failed to manage symptoms, other treatments for uterine fibroids include:

Endometrial ablation
Uterine fibroid embolization
Laparoscopic ultrasound-guided radiofrequency fibroid ablation (Acessa procedure)

Types of Myomectomy

At UT Southwestern, our gynecologic surgeons have advanced training and experience in the latest minimally invasive surgical techniques, including myomectomy. Depending on the size and location of the fibroids, we have several treatment options to remove them. We work closely with our patients to decide on the right procedure for each individual.

The types of myomectomy we offer include:

Abdominal Myomectomy (Traditional Open Surgery)

The surgeon makes one open incision in the lower abdomen to remove fibroids. We typically use abdominal myomectomy for patients who have many or very large fibroids. The recovery time is about four to six weeks.

Laparoscopic Myomectomy

Using several small incisions, the surgeon inserts a laparoscope (narrow tube with a lighted camera) and miniature instruments to remove the fibroids. Laparoscopic myomectomy is less invasive than traditional open surgery, and recovery is faster, about two to four weeks. Laparoscopic procedures are better for patients who have smaller, fewer fibroids.

At UT Southwestern, our surgeons sometimes use a robotic surgical system with a console that provides magnified, high-resolution 3D imaging and arms with miniaturized instruments.

Hysteroscopic Myomectomy

In this minimally invasive procedure, the surgeon accesses the uterus through the vagina and cervix (opening to the uterus) to remove fibroids. A hysteroscopic myomectomy is a good option for patients with smaller fibroids that are inside the uterus. With this approach, there are no incisions on the abdomen and recovery time is a few days.

In a hysteroscopic myomectomy, the surgeon uses a hysteroscope (similar to a laparoscope, a narrow tube with a lighted camera) to view inside the uterus. The surgeon removes the fibroids piece by piece using one of two tools: