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What Are the Challenges with a Myomectomy?

What Are the Challenges with a Myomectomy? (0:49)

The challenge with myomectomies (surgical removal of fibroids) is that surgeons usually can't get all of the fibroids. In this video, John Lipman, MD, interventional radiologist, explains that usually the smaller fibroids are left behind.

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Well, with Myomectomy, the challenge is you can typically knock it all the fibroids out, infact, commonly there are lot of fibroids left behind. So, the woman feels better for short period of time but the fibroids that you left behind, typically the smaller ones because you tried to get the bigger fibroids are tend to be the ones causing the symptoms.

But the one you left behind, they grow and over a three or four or five year time horizon, now your these have grown and you're back to square one with a Myomectomy. With embolization you knock out all the fibroids whether you have one or hundred, and typically it's a one time procedure.

It's very unsual for me to do a second embolization.