Uterine fibroids, also known as uterine myomas, are the most common benign tumors of the uterus. Most of the time they have no influence at all on a woman's general or reproductive health, but in some cases they are considered a possible cause of infertility and should be surgically removed before undergoing assisted reproduction treatment.
There are 3 types of fibroids according to their location in the uterus:
- Subserosal fibroids: are those that grow outside the uterus.
- Intramural fibroids: they grow in the thickness of the uterine wall.
Laparoscopy is an endoscopic technique of minimally invasive surgical approach. The incisions to access the abdominal cavity are much smaller than in traditional open surgery, allowing faster initial recovery. This technique can be used to remove subserosal and intramural uterines.
There is another endoscopic technique called hysteroscopy, which accesses the uterine cavity through the vagina and cervix without the need for incisions.
Hysteroscopy has made it possible to remove submucosal fibroids effectively and with minimal convalescence time.