Dr. K D NAYAR
IVF Specialist, India
So many different factors can play a role in affecting your ability to get
pregnant and deliver a healthy baby. One potential factor which affects women
of reproductive age is uterine fibroids which is a common condition in
reproductive age group.
Uterine fibroids are benign (non-cancerous) tumors that occur in the muscle
tissue of the uterus. Women usually have more than one fibroid and they vary
in size and location; their size is often described by fruit, e.g., the size
of a grapefruit. They can change both the size and shape of the uterus and
affect the cervix. It is size and location that often affect whether you
experience symptoms, experience infertility and need treatment.
There are three major different types of fibroids that differ based on where
they are located:
Why fibroids develop is still unclear but genetics, hormones, and
environmental factors all likely play a role.
The most common way to determine if you have fibroids and assess their size,
number and location is through a physical exam and 2 D ultrasound / 3 D Ultra
scan. In some cases, additional imaging tests such as an MRI may be required.
It’s a complex issue. Estimates suggest that about 5-10% of women facing
infertility have fibroids and it is their size and location which may create
problems. Fibroids that are very large – greater than 6 centimeters in
diameter – and those located inside the uterine cavity are examples of
situations where fibroids may affect your ability to get pregnant and deliver
a healthy baby. Studies show that in most cases, it is only submucosal
fibroids which protrude into the uterus that may affect fertility. There are
exceptions including large fibroids that block the openings of fallopian tubes
into the uterus.
Uterine fibroids can affect your fertility in several different ways based on
how their size and location changes your uterus, cervix or fallopian tubes.
Treatment for fibroids should be based on your individual situation
such as the severity of your symptoms and whether there may be other
explanations for your infertility. Only surgery, often minimally invasive, can
eliminate any given fibroid permanently. Other treatments that use ultrasound,
electrical energy, embolization or medications can often make a given fibroid
smaller, but sometimes only temporarily. Furthermore, new fibroids may grow
after treatment. There is also disagreement over whether treatment will
improve your fertility.
If you are trying to improve your fertility vs. relieving symptoms, research
to date only supports treatment for submucosal fibroids as it does result in
increased pregnancy and live birth rates.
Research is weak and does not support treatment for other types of fibroids
based on comparing outcomes for pregnancy and live birth rates for women
receiving treatment and those not receiving treatment.
This is not the end…. we will continue about how ivf can help a women with
fibroid to achieve pregnancy
Akanksha IVF Centre Delhi A-3/7, Janakpuri, New Delhi, India – 110058 Phone:
+91-11-45682024 Mobile: +91-9810398765, 9810398767 Email: kdnayar@usa.net