Thursday, 28 February 2013

Rising Above the Inevitable - Overpowering Fibroids!


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

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