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Why it's done
By Mayo Clinic staffFocused ultrasound surgery:
- Can ease bothersome symptoms associated with uterine fibroids, including heavy bleeding and pelvic pain and pressure
- Provides a noninvasive alternative to surgical treatment of fibroids
- Is done on an outpatient basis
- Typically allows a rapid return to normal activities after the procedure
Although focused ultrasound surgery offers many advantages over other fibroid treatment options, it's not the best option for everyone. It may not be a good choice for you if:
- You have multiple abdominal scars that make it difficult to find a safe path between the transducer and the fibroid
- You have many fibroids or very large fibroids
- You want to optimize your chance of a future pregnancy
A number of women have had successful pregnancies after treatment. However, long-term effects on a woman's ability to become pregnant and carry a baby to term have not been studied adequately yet.
References
- Napoli A, et al. MR-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound: Current status of an emerging technology. CardioVascular and Interventional Radiology. In press. Accessed April 30, 2013.
- Hesley GK, et al. MR-guided focused ultrasound for the treatment of uterine fibroids. CardioVascular and Interventional Radiology. 2013;36:5.
- Trumm CG, et al. Magnetic resonance imaging-guided focused ultrasound treatment of symptomatic uterine fibroids. Investigative Radiology. 2013;48:1.
- Coakley FV, et al. Pelvic applications of MR-guided high intensity focused ultrasound. Abdominal Imaging. In press. http://rd.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00261-013-9999-2. Accessed April 30, 2013.
- Van der Kooij SM, et al. Review of nonsurgical/minimally invasive treatments for uterine fibroids. Current Opinion in Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2012;24:1.
- MRI of the body (chest, abdomen, pelvis). RadiologyInfo.org. http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=bodymr. Accessed April 30, 2013.
- Gallenberg MM (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. May 17, 2013.
- Stewart EA (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. May 8, 2013.
- Hesley GK (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. May 20, 2013.
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