Are
you in your late teens struggling with that unrelenting acne or a single
28-year-old smartly-kempt advertising pro? Are you an eligible mom-to-be or
even a mother of two going through a mid-life biological pause? Correct me, if
I’m wrong, but at every stage of a woman’s life, the clock is ticking. First
the acne, back pain, weight gain, then cysts, tumors, fibroids – with every
appalling alarm it buzzes, the worries of our mind take huge toll on our body
as well.
“Did you know that uterine fibroids
affect approximately 20-25% of women
in the childbearing age group?”
If
you’re lucky, uterine fibroids
can go un-noticed during a lifetime; however, these can also be very
disconcerting, and can cause excessive bleeding, severe pain during the
menstrual cycle, a combination of both and often an
inability to conceive.
In
the pre-menopausal age group, traditional management techniques range from
medical therapy to surgery (myomectomy, hysterectomy). Although, over the past
two decades, advances in surgical techniques have led to the development of
innovative and less invasive options for the local management of tumors - like
minimally invasive keyhole and laparoscopic surgeries.They still require the
insertion of probes and are not truly non-invasive by definition.
But brace yourself ladies,
because MRI-HIFU
(Magnetic Resonance Guided High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound) is a truly
non-invasive and safe procedure without any cut, scar and radiation and is used
for precise and targeted treatment of tumors. Yes, no hidden meanings behind
this one, it is as simple as going for an ultrasound.
Visit
a HIFU Treatment
Center and you’ll understand better. According to a well-known radiologist,
MRI-HIFU is the latest technology which is being used for the treatment of
uterine fibroids across counties. “Real-time,
MRI guidance allows the doctor to target only the fibroid
with a high-intensity focused ultrasound energy beam. This step is repeated
till an adequate volume of the fibroid is ablated. Importantly, this technique leaves the normal
uterine muscle intact.”
It’s worth
mentioning here that MRI-HIFU is an exciting and potentially path-breaking non-invasive
outpatient therapy. Focused ultrasound waves are used to heat and coagulate
tissue deep inside the body without damaging surrounding tissue. During HIFU
treatment, the ultrasound energy beam penetrates through the skin and soft
tissue, causing localized high temperatures in the focus area, leaving the skin
and intermediate tissue.
Meera, a charming banker in her
late 20’s recently treated for uterine fibroids through MR-HIFU says, “It was so simple. They asked me to have a
light snack 6 hours prior to the procedure. I walked into the MRI room and was
made to lie on my tummy on the MRI table, and within 3-5 hours, the procedure
was done. In fact, I was awake and aware throughout the procedure.”
In
a comparative study of different treatments, MRI-HIFU treatment of fibroids led
to clinical improvement with fewer significant clinical complications and fewer
adverse events compared to other treatments at 6-monthly follow-up.
MRI-HIFU
patients are generally treated on an outpatient basis,
with significantly
faster recovery, earlier resumption of work
and a reduced economical impact.
To
modestly quote an anonymous Mumbai-based model, also a former air-hostess, “Who has the time for tumors when there’s so
much more in life to relish! My career was zooming and I had just met my Mr.
Right. I was shattered when my gynecologist uttered the word ‘uterine fibriods’.
After all, even I would want to settle down and have kids one day. I’m so glad
my doctor told me about HIFU.”
Ladies!
You cannot avoid or ignore the inevitable…the cysts, tumors or fibroids,
pregnancy complications or reproductive disorders, but you surely can overcome
them by choosing the right approach. Life is full of big and small hurdles, but
it also accompanies with it, vast choices for solutions. It’s our right to know
our options, weigh the odds and make an intelligent choice.
Stay
healthy, stay happy!
for more information about uterine fibroids and its treatment CLICK HERE