Find expert answers to your health questions

John Lipman

Bio

Dr. Lipman, Sharecare Editorial Advisory Board, is an internationally recognized expert in the treatment of uterine fibroids. He has given over 200 invited lectures on Women's Health topics including Harvard, Stanford, Vanderbilt, and Yale Medical Centers. He has appeared live on CNN with Wolf Blitzer and has been interviewed for USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, CNBC, Jet, The Health Network, Family Circle, and WebMD. Education: • MD: Georgetown University School of Medicine, Residency: • Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Fellowship: • Cardiovascular & Interventional Radiology Yale New-Haven Hospital, Yale Medical School.

Specialties:

  • radiology

Affiliation:

  • Atlanta Interventional Institute

Location:

Activity

  • John Lipman
    John Lipman answered:
    What are the symptoms of varicose veins?
    Varicose veins may be asymptomatic and only a cosmetic concern. They can also cause symptoms; most commonly a tired, dull achy feeling in the affected leg. This pain is worse when the person is standing and relieved by putting the feet up. Occasionally, the varicose veins can itch. There can also...  Full Post
  • John Lipman
    John Lipman answered:
    What increases my risk for uterine fibroids?
    No one knows what causes uterine fibroids, and therefore it is not possible to prevent them from forming. The following 3 factors increase your risk for developing fibroids: being a woman of childbearing age, being of African-American ancestry, and being obese. While we can't change our genetics,...  Full Post
  • John Lipman
    John Lipman answered:
    How do I know for sure that I have fibroids?
    Fibroids may be discovered incidentally on a physical exam by a healthcare provider or during an imaging test (exs. pelvic ultrasound, pelvic CT scan). They may also be discovered during an investigation of symptoms which fibroids cause (exs. heavy menstrual flow, pelvic pain, increased urinary f...  Full Post
  • John Lipman
    John Lipman answered:
    Does having uterine sarcoma affect my chances for reproduction?
    Yes. Uterine sarcoma is an extremely rare malignant tumor of the uterus. The standard treatment would be to remove the entire uterus (i.e. hysterectomy). While a woman suffering with a uterine sarcoma would not be able to carry/deliver a baby (without her uterus), she could consider in vitro fert...  Full Post
  • John Lipman
    John Lipman answered:
    Do birth control pills shrink fibroid tumors?
    No. Birth control pills can decrease the heaviness of the flow, but they tend to increase fibroid growth. Fibroids are very hormone-responsive (estrogen as well as progesterone). It is why fibroids tend to grow (sometimes very rapidly) during pregnancy, and why they are also not typically an issue...  Full Post
  • John Lipman
    John Lipman answered:
    Are uterine fibroids painful?
    Uterine fibroids are benign (non-cancerous) tumors that are hard and firm due to their composition of smooth muscle and fibrous tissue. While many women who have fibroids do not have any symptoms, these hard tumors can press on pelvic nerves to cause pelvic pain which can radiate throughout the pelvis...  Full Post
  • John Lipman
    John Lipman answered:
    Can uterine fibroids be prevented?

    No. No one knows what causes fibroids, and therefore, fibroids cannot be prevented. It is possible to decrease your risk for developing fibroids by eating right, exercising, and maintaining a normal body weight. Women who weigh less than 120 lbs are at particularly low risk for fibroid development,

    ...  Full Post
  • John Lipman
    John Lipman answered:
    Can menopauase cause heavy vaginal bleeding?
    No. By definition menopause is the complete cessation of menstrual bleeding for 12 consecutive months. This often occurs in women between 45-50 years of age, although a number of women go well in to their fifties before going in to menopause. Women over 40 years of age who are still menstruating...  Full Post
  • John Lipman
    John Lipman answered:
    Is surgery the only way to treat uterine fibroid tumors?
    No. There are a number of non-surgical treatments for fibroids; most notably Uterine Fibroid Embolization (UFE) and MRI-guided Focused Ultrasound (MRgFUS). UFE is performed by an Interventional Radiologist (see sirweb.org) who is a physician trained in minimally invasive targeted treatments performed...  Full Post
  • John Lipman
    John Lipman answered:
    Are uterine fibroids contagious?
    No. While no one knows what causes uterine fibroids to form, they are not contagious. There is a genetic component to the development of uterine fibroids and this is most commonly seen in women of African-American ancestry. Therefore, it is particularly important for these women if they suffer with...  Full Post
  • John Lipman
    John Lipman answered:
    Is there a cure for uterine fibroids?

    Uterine fibroids are benign, non-cancerous tumors of the uterus. Most women who have fibroids have no symptoms and do not need any treatment. Even for women suffering with fibroids, they do not need a cure of their fibroids per se, but rather need relief from the symptoms that the fibroids are causing.

    ...  Full Post
  • John Lipman
    John Lipman answered:
    Why would a fibroid on the uterus cause back pain?
    Uterine fibroids are hard tumors composed on fibrous tissue and smooth muscle. It can cause back pain (as well as pelvic pain radiating in to the lower back, hip, thighs, and buttocks) by pressing upon spinal nerves that exit the spine in the lower (lumbar region) back.  Full Post
  • John Lipman
    John Lipman answered:
    How are uterine fibroids diagnosed?
    Uterine fibroids can be diagnosed either by feeling them on a physical exam of the uterus or by their appearance on a radiologic imaging study (exs. pelvic ultrasound, CT scan, or MRI).  Full Post
  • John Lipman
    John Lipman answered:
    Can I develop female cancer if I have no ovaries or uterus?
    Yes. "Female cancer" is a cancer of the female reproductive tract. If a patient has undergone complete hysterectomy with removal of the entire uterus, ovaries, and fallopian tubes, she could still develop a cancer in the remaining structures (ex. vulva/vagina).  Full Post
  • John Lipman
    John Lipman answered:
    What are the possible complications of uterine fibroids?

    Uterine fibroids are usually aymptomatic. When these benign, non-cancerous tumors cause symptoms it is most commonly heavy, painful menstrual periods. Fibroids are the most common reason why women have abnormally heavy menstruation. The heavy flow can cause anemia, the symptoms of which include:

    ...  Full Post