Linda D. Bradley, MD

Uterine fibroids (myomas or leiomyomas) are common and can cause considerable morbidity, including infertility, in reproductive-aged women. In this roundtable discussion, moderated by OBG Management Editorial Board member Joseph S. Sanfilippo, MD, MBA, 2 experts discuss imaging technologies and classification systems for assessing fibroids, various medical and surgical treatment options, and patient reproductive goals to consider when counseling women with fibroids.

Perspectives on a pervasive problem

Joseph S. Sanfilippo, MD, MBA: First let’s discuss the scope of the problem. How prevalent are uterine fibroids, and what are their effects on quality of life?

Linda D. Bradley, MD: Fibroids are extremely prevalent. Depending on age and race, between 60% and 80% of women have them.¹ About 50% of women with fibroids have no symptoms²; in symptomatic women, the symptoms may vary based on age. Fibroids are more common in women from the African diaspora, who have earlier onset of symptoms, very large or more numerous fibroids, and more symptomatic fibroids, according to some clinical studies.³ While it is a very common disease state, about half of women with fibroids may not have significant symptoms that warrant anything more than watchful waiting or some minimally invasive options.

Ted L. Anderson, MD, PhD: We probably underestimate the scope because we see people coming in with fibroids only when they have a specific problem. There probably are a lot of asymptomatic women out there that we do not know about.

Case 1: Abnormal uterine bleeding in a young woman desiring pregnancy in the near future

Dr. Sanfilippo: Abnormal uterine bleeding is a common dilemma in my practice. Consider the following case example.

A 24-year-old woman (G1P1) presents with heavy, irregular menses over 6 months’ duration. She is interested in pregnancy, not immediately but in several months. She passes clots, soaks a pad in an hour, and has dysmenorrhea and fatigue. She uses no birth control. She is very distraught, as this bleeding truly has changed her lifestyle.

What is your approach to counseling this patient?

Dr. Bradley: You described a woman whose quality of life is very poor—frequent pad changes, clotting, pain. And she wants to have a child. A patient coming to me with those symptoms does not need to wait 4 to 6 months. I would immediately do some early evaluation.

Dr. Anderson: Sometimes a patient comes to us and already has had an ultrasonography exam. That is helpful, but I am driven by the fact that this patient is interested in pregnancy. I want to look at the uterine cavity and will probably do an office hysteroscopy to see if she has fibroids that distort the uterine cavity. Are there fibroids inside the cavity? To what degree does that possibly play a role? The presence of fibroids does not necessarily mean there is distortion of the cavity, and some evidence suggests that you do not need to do anything about those fibroids.⁴ Fibroids actually may not be the source of bleeding. We need to keep an open mind when we do the evaluation.

Continue to: Imaging technologies and classification aids...

Imaging technologies and classification aids

Dr. Sanfilippo: Apropos to your comment, is there a role for a sonohysterography in this population?

Dr. Anderson: That is a great technique. Some clinicians prefer to use sonohysterography while others prefer hysteroscopy. I tend to use hysteroscopy, and I have the equipment in the office. Both are great techniques and they answer the same question with respect to cavity evaluation.

Dr. Bradley: We once studied about 150 patients who, on the same day, with 2 separate examiners (one being me), would first undergo saline infusion sonohysterography (SIS) and then hysteroscopy, or vice versa. The sensitivity of identifying an intracavitary lesion is quite good with both. The additional benefit with SIS is that you can look at the adnexa.

In terms of the classification by the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (FIGO), sometimes when we do a hysteroscopy, we are not sure how deep a fibroid is—whether it is a type 1 or type 2 or how close it is to the serosa (see illustration, page 26). Are we seeing just the tip of the iceberg? There is a role for imaging, and it is not always an “either/or” situation. There are times, for example, that hysteroscopy will show a type 0. Other times it may not show that, and you look for other things in terms of whether a fibroid abuts the endometrium. The take-home message is that physicians should abandon endometrial biopsy alone and, in this case, not offer a D&C.

In evaluating the endometrium, as gynecologists we should be facile in both technologies. In our workplaces we need to advocate to get trained, to be certified, and to be able to offer both technologies, because sometimes you need both to obtain the right answer.

Dr. Sanfilippo: Let’s talk about the FIGO classification, because it is important to have a communication method not only between physicians but with the patient. If we determine that a fibroid is a type 0, and therefore totally intracavitary, management is different than if the fibroid is a type 1 (less than 50% into the myometrium) or type 2 (more than 50%). What is the role for a classification system such as the FIGO?

Dr. Anderson: I like the FIGO classification system. We can show the patient fibroid classification diagrammatically and she will be able to understand exactly what we are talking about. It’s helpful for patient education and for surgical planning. The approach to a type 0 fibroid is a no-brainer, but with type 1 and more specifically with type 2, where the bulk of the fibroid is intramural and only a portion of that is intracavitary, fibroid size begins to matter a lot in terms of treatment approach.

Sometimes although a fibroid is intracavitary, a laparoscopic rather than hysteroscopic approach is preferred, as long as you can dissect the fibroid away from the endometrium. FIGO classification is very helpful, but I agree with Dr. Bradley that first you need to do a thorough evaluation to make your operative plan.

Continue to: Dr. Sanfilippo...

Dr. Sanfilippo: I encourage residents to go through an orderly sequence of assessment for evaluating abnormal uterine bleeding, including anatomic and endocrinologic factors. The PALM-COEIN classification system is a great mnemonic for use in evaluating abnormal uterine bleeding (TABLE).⁵ Is there a role for an aid such as PALM-COEIN in your practice?

The PALM-COEIN system helps us to look at 2 things. One is that in addition to structural causes, there can be hematologic causes. While it is rare in a 24-year-old, we all have had the anecdotal patient who came in 6 months ago, had a fibroid, but had a platelet count of 6,000. Second, we have to look at the patient as a whole. My residents, myself, and our fellows look at any bleeding. Does she have a bleeding diathesis, bruising, nose bleeds; has she been anemic, does she have pica? Has she had a blood transfusion, is she on certain medications? We do not want to create a “silo” and think that the patient can have only a fibroid, because then we may miss an opportunity to treat other disease states. She can have a fibroid coexisting with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), for instance. I like to look at everything so we can offer appropriate treatment modalities.

Dr. Sanfilippo: You bring up a very important point. Coagulopathies are more common statistically at the earlier part of a woman’s reproductive age group, soon after menarche, but they also occur toward menopause. We have to be cognizant that a woman can develop a coagulopathy throughout the reproductive years.

Dr. Anderson: You have to look at other medical causes. That is where the PALM-COEIN system can help. It helps you take the blinders off. If you focus on the fibroid and treat the fibroid and the patient still has bleeding, you missed something. You have to consider the whole patient and think of all the nonclassical or nonanatomical things, for example, thyroid disease. The PALM-COEIN helps us to evaluate the patient in a methodical way—every patient every time—so you do not miss something.

The value of MRI

Dr. Sanfilippo: What is the role for MRI, and when do you use it? Is it for only when you do a procedure—laparoscopically, robotically, open—so you have a detailed map of the fibroids?

Dr. Anderson: I love MRI, especially for hysteroscopy. I will print out the MRI image and trace the fibroid because there are things I want to know: exactly how much of the fibroid is inside or outside, where this fibroid is in the uterus, and how much of a normal buffer there is between the edge of that fibroid and the serosa. How aggressive can I be, or how cautious do I need to be, during the resection? Maybe this will be a planned 2-stage resection. MRIs are wonderful for fibroid disease, not only for diagnosis but also for surgical planning and patient counseling.

Dr. Bradley: SIS is also very useful. If the patient has an intracavitary fibroid that is larger than 4.5 to 5 cm and we insert the catheter, however, sometimes you cannot distend the cavity very well. Sometimes large intramural fibroids can compress the cavity, making the procedure difficult in an office setting. You cannot see the limits to help you as a surgical option. Although SIS generally is associated with little pain, some patients may have pain, and some patients cannot tolerate the test.

Continue to: I would order an MRI for surgical planning when...

I would order an MRI for surgical planning when a hysteroscopy is equivocal and if I cannot do an SIS. Also, if a patient who had a hysteroscopic resection with incomplete removal comes to me and is still symptomatic, I want to know the depth of penetration.

Obtaining an MRI may sometimes be difficult at a particular institution, and some clinicians have to go through the hurdles of getting an ultrasound to get certified and approved. We have to be our patient’s advocate and do the peer phone calls; any other specialty would require presurgical planning, and we are no different from other surgeons in that regard.

Dr. Sanfilippo: Yes, that can be a stumbling block. In the operating room, I like to have the images right in front of me, ideally an MRI or an ultrasound scan, as I know how to proceed. Having that visual helps me understand how close the fibroid is to the lining of the uterus.

Tapping into radiologists’ expertise

Dr. Bradley: Every quarter we meet with our radiologists, who are very interested in our MRI and SIS reports. They will describe the count and say how many fibroids—that is very helpful instead of just saying she has a bunch of fibroids—but they also will tell us when there is a type 0, a type 2, a type 7 fibroid. The team looks for adenomyosis and for endometriosis that can coexist.

Dr. Anderson: One caution about reading radiology reports is that often someone will come in with a report from an outside hospital or from a small community hospital that may say, “There is a 2-cm submucosal fibroid.” Some people might be tempted to take this person right to the OR, but you need to look at the images yourself, because in a radiologist’s mind “submucosal” truly means under the mucosa, which in our liturgy would be “intramural.” So we need to make sure that we are talking the same language. You should look at the images yourself.

Dr. Sanfilippo: I totally agree. It is also not unreasonable to speak with the radiologists and educate them about the FIGO classification.

Dr. Bradley: I prefer the word “intracavitary” for fibroids. When I see a typed report without the picture, “submucosal” can mean in the cavity or abutting the endometrium.

Case 2: Woman with heavy bleeding and fibroids seeks nonsurgical treatment

Dr. Sanfilippo: A 39-year-old (G3P3) woman is referred for evaluation for heavy vaginal bleeding, soaking a pad in an hour, which has been going on for months. Her primary ObGyn obtained a pelvic sonogram and noted multiple intramural and subserosal fibroids. A sonohysterogram reveals a submucosal myoma.

The patient is not interested in a hysterectomy. She was treated with birth control pills, with no improvement. She is interested in nonsurgical options. Dr. Bradley, what medical treatments might you offer this patient?

Medical treatment options

Dr. Bradley: If oral contraceptives have not worked, a good option would be tranexamic acid. Years ago our hospital was involved with enrolling patients in the multicenter clinical trial of this drug. The classic patient enrolled had regular, predictable, heavy menstrual cycles with alkaline hematin assay of greater than 80. If the case patient described has regular and predictable heavy bleeding every month at the same time, for the same duration, I would consider the use of tranexamic acid. There are several contraindications for the drug, so those exclusion issues would need to be reviewed. Contraindications include subarachnoid hemorrhage. Cerebral edema and cerebral infarction may be caused by tranexamic acid in such patients. Other contraindications include active intravascular clotting and hypersensitivity.

Continue to: Another option is to see if a progestin-releasing intrauterine system...

Another option is to see if a progestin-releasing intrauterine system (IUS) like the levonorgestrel (LNG) IUS would fit into this patient’s uterine cavity. Like Ted, I want to look into that cavity. I am not sure what “submucosal fibroid” means. If it has not distorted the cavity, or is totally within the uterine cavity, or abuts the endometrial cavity. The LNG-IUS cannot be placed into a uterine cavity that has intracavitary fibroids or sounds to greater than 12 cm. We are not going to put an LNG-IUS in somebody, at least in general, with a globally enlarged uterine cavity. I could ask, do you do that? You do a bimanual exam, and it is 18-weeks in size. I am not sure that I would put it in, but does it meet those criteria? The package insert for the LNG-IUS specifies upper and lower limits of uterine size for placement. I would start with those 2 options (tranexamic acid and LNG-IUS), and also get some more imaging.

Dr. Anderson: I agree with Linda. The submucosal fibroid could be contributing to this patient’s bleeding, but it is not the total contribution. The other fibroids may be completely irrelevant as far as her bleeding is concerned. We may need to deal with that one surgically, which we can do without a hysterectomy, most of the time.

I am a big fan of the LNG-IUS, it has been great in my experience. There are some other treatments available as well, such as gonadotropin–releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists. I tell patients that, while GnRH does work, it is not designed to be long-term therapy. If I have, for example, a 49-year-old patient, I just need to get her to menopause. Longer-term GnRH agonists might be a good option in this case. Otherwise, we could use short-term a GnRH agonist to stop the bleeding for a while so that we can reset the clock and get her started on something like levonorgestrel, tranexamic acid, or one of the other medical therapies. That may be a 2-step combination therapy.

Dr. Sanfilippo: There is a whole category of agents available—selective progesterone receptor modulators (SPRMs), pure progesterone receptor antagonists, ulipristal comes to mind. Clinicians need to know that options are available beyond birth control pills.

Dr. Anderson: As I tell patients, there are also “bridge” options. These are interventional procedures that are not hysterectomy, such as uterine fibroid embolization or endometrial ablation if bleeding is really the problem. We might consider a variety of different approaches. Obviously, we do not typically use fibroid embolization for submucosal fibroids, but it depends on how much of the fibroid is intracavitary and how big it is. Other options are a little more aggressive than medical therapy but they do not involve a hysterectomy.

Pros and cons of uterine artery embolization

Dr. Sanfilippo: If a woman desires future childbearing, is there a role for uterine artery embolization? How would you counsel her about the pros and cons?

Dr. Bradley: At the Cleveland Clinic, we generally do not offer uterine artery embolization if the patient wants a child. While it is an excellent method for treating heavy bleeding and bulk symptoms, the endometrium can be impacted. Patients can develop fistula, adhesions, or concentric narrowing, and changes in anti-Müllerian hormone levels, and there is potential for an Asherman-like syndrome and poor perfusion. I have many hysteroscopic images where the anterior wall of the uterus is nice and pink and the posterior wall is totally pale. The embolic microsphere particles can reach the endometrium—I have seen particles in the endometrium when doing a fibroid resection.

Continue to: A good early study looked at 555 women for almost a year...

A good early study looked at 555 women for almost a year.⁶ If women became pregnant, they had a higher rate of postpartum hemorrhage; placenta accreta, increta, and percreta; and emergent hysterectomy. It was recommended that these women deliver at a tertiary care center due to higher rates of preterm labor and malposition.

If a patient wants a baby, she should find a gynecologic surgeon who does minimally invasive laparoscopic, robotic, or open surgery, because she is more likely to have a take-home baby with a surgical approach than with embolization. In my experience, there is always going to be a patient who wants to keep her uterus at age 49 and who has every comorbidity. I might offer her the embolization just knowing what the odds of pregnancy are.

Dr. Anderson: I agree with Linda but I take a more liberal approach. Sometimes we do a myomectomy because we are trying to enhance fertility, while other times we do a myomectomy to address fibroid-related symptoms. These patients are having specific symptoms, and we want to leave the embolization option open.

If I have a patient who is 39 and becoming pregnant is not necessarily her goal, but she does not want to have a hysterectomy and if she got pregnant it would be okay, I am going to treat her a little different with respect to fibroid embolization than I would treat someone who is actively trying to have a baby. This goes back to what you were saying, let’s treat the patient, not just the fibroid.

Dr. Bradley: That is so important and sentinel. If she really does not want a hysterectomy but does not want a baby, I will ask, “Would you go through in vitro fertilization? Would you take clomiphene?” If she answers no, then I feel more comfortable, like you, with referring the patient for uterine fibroid embolization. The point is to get the patient with the right team to get the best outcomes.

Surgical approaches, intraoperative agents, and suture technique

Dr. Sanfilippo: Dr. Anderson, tell us about your surgical approaches to fibroids.

Dr. Anderson: At my institution we do have a fellowship in minimally invasive surgery, but I still do a lot of open myomectomies. I have a few guidelines to determine whether I am going to proceed laparoscopically, do a little minilaparotomy incision, or if a gigantic uterus is going to require a big incision. My mantra to my fellows has always been, “minimally invasive is the impact on the patient, not the size of the incision.”

Sometimes, prolonged anesthesia and Trendelenburg create more morbidity than a minilaparotomy. If a patient has 4 or 5 fibroids and most of them are intramural and I cannot see them but I want to be able to feel them, and to get a really good closure of the myometrium, I might choose to do a minilaparotomy. But if it is a case of a solitary fibroid, I would be more inclined to operate laparoscopically.

Continue to: Dr. Bradley...

Dr. Bradley: Our protocol is similar. We use MRI liberally. If patients have 4 or more fibroids and they are larger than 8 cm, most will have open surgery. I do not do robotic or laparoscopic procedures, so my referral source is for the larger myomas. We do not put retractors in; we can make incisions. Even if we do a huge Maylard incision, it is cosmetically wonderful. We use a loading dose of IV tranexamic acid with tranexamic acid throughout the surgery, and misoprostol intravaginally prior to surgery, to control uterine bleeding.

Dr. Sanfilippo: Dr. Anderson, is there a role for agents such as vasopressin, and what about routes of administration?

Dr. Anderson: When I do a laparoscopic or open procedure, I inject vasopressin (dilute 20 U in 100 mL of saline) into the pseudocapsule around the fibroid. I also administer rectal misoprostol (400 µg) just before the patient prep is done, which is amazing in reducing blood loss. There is also a role for a GnRH agonist, not necessarily to reduce the size of the uterus but to reduce blood flow in the pelvis and blood loss. Many different techniques are available. I do not use tourniquets, however. If bleeding does occur, I want to see it so I can fix it—not after I have sewn up the uterus and taken off a tourniquet.

Dr. Bradley: Do you use Floseal hemostatic matrix or any other agent to control bleeding?

Dr. Anderson: I do, for local hemostasis.

Dr. Bradley: Some surgeons will use barbed suture.

Dr. Anderson: I do like barbed sutures. In teaching residents to do myomectomy, it is very beneficial. But I am still a big fan of the good old figure-of-8 stitch because it is compressive and you get a good apposition of the tissue, good hemostasis, and strong closure.

Dr. Sanfilippo: We hope that this conversation will change your management of uterine fibroids. I thank Dr. Bradley and Dr. Anderson for a lively and very informative discussion.

Watch the video: Video roundtable–Fibroids: Patient considerations in medical and surgical management

Uterine fibroids (myomas or leiomyomas) are common and can cause considerable morbidity, including infertility, in reproductive-aged women. In this roundtable discussion, moderated by OBG Management Editorial Board member Joseph S. Sanfilippo, MD, MBA, 2 experts discuss imaging technologies and classification systems for assessing fibroids, various medical and surgical treatment options, and patient reproductive goals to consider when counseling women with fibroids.

Perspectives on a pervasive problem

Joseph S. Sanfilippo, MD, MBA: First let’s discuss the scope of the problem. How prevalent are uterine fibroids, and what are their effects on quality of life?

Linda D. Bradley, MD: Fibroids are extremely prevalent. Depending on age and race, between 60% and 80% of women have them.¹ About 50% of women with fibroids have no symptoms²; in symptomatic women, the symptoms may vary based on age. Fibroids are more common in women from the African diaspora, who have earlier onset of symptoms, very large or more numerous fibroids, and more symptomatic fibroids, according to some clinical studies.³ While it is a very common disease state, about half of women with fibroids may not have significant symptoms that warrant anything more than watchful waiting or some minimally invasive options.

Ted L. Anderson, MD, PhD: We probably underestimate the scope because we see people coming in with fibroids only when they have a specific problem. There probably are a lot of asymptomatic women out there that we do not know about.

Case 1: Abnormal uterine bleeding in a young woman desiring pregnancy in the near future

Dr. Sanfilippo: Abnormal uterine bleeding is a common dilemma in my practice. Consider the following case example.

A 24-year-old woman (G1P1) presents with heavy, irregular menses over 6 months’ duration. She is interested in pregnancy, not immediately but in several months. She passes clots, soaks a pad in an hour, and has dysmenorrhea and fatigue. She uses no birth control. She is very distraught, as this bleeding truly has changed her lifestyle.

What is your approach to counseling this patient?

Dr. Bradley: You described a woman whose quality of life is very poor—frequent pad changes, clotting, pain. And she wants to have a child. A patient coming to me with those symptoms does not need to wait 4 to 6 months. I would immediately do some early evaluation.

Dr. Anderson: Sometimes a patient comes to us and already has had an ultrasonography exam. That is helpful, but I am driven by the fact that this patient is interested in pregnancy. I want to look at the uterine cavity and will probably do an office hysteroscopy to see if she has fibroids that distort the uterine cavity. Are there fibroids inside the cavity? To what degree does that possibly play a role? The presence of fibroids does not necessarily mean there is distortion of the cavity, and some evidence suggests that you do not need to do anything about those fibroids.⁴ Fibroids actually may not be the source of bleeding. We need to keep an open mind when we do the evaluation.

Continue to: Imaging technologies and classification aids...

Imaging technologies and classification aids

Dr. Sanfilippo: Apropos to your comment, is there a role for a sonohysterography in this population?

Dr. Anderson: That is a great technique. Some clinicians prefer to use sonohysterography while others prefer hysteroscopy. I tend to use hysteroscopy, and I have the equipment in the office. Both are great techniques and they answer the same question with respect to cavity evaluation.

Dr. Bradley: We once studied about 150 patients who, on the same day, with 2 separate examiners (one being me), would first undergo saline infusion sonohysterography (SIS) and then hysteroscopy, or vice versa. The sensitivity of identifying an intracavitary lesion is quite good with both. The additional benefit with SIS is that you can look at the adnexa.

In terms of the classification by the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (FIGO), sometimes when we do a hysteroscopy, we are not sure how deep a fibroid is—whether it is a type 1 or type 2 or how close it is to the serosa (see illustration, page 26). Are we seeing just the tip of the iceberg? There is a role for imaging, and it is not always an “either/or” situation. There are times, for example, that hysteroscopy will show a type 0. Other times it may not show that, and you look for other things in terms of whether a fibroid abuts the endometrium. The take-home message is that physicians should abandon endometrial biopsy alone and, in this case, not offer a D&C.

In evaluating the endometrium, as gynecologists we should be facile in both technologies. In our workplaces we need to advocate to get trained, to be certified, and to be able to offer both technologies, because sometimes you need both to obtain the right answer.

Dr. Sanfilippo: Let’s talk about the FIGO classification, because it is important to have a communication method not only between physicians but with the patient. If we determine that a fibroid is a type 0, and therefore totally intracavitary, management is different than if the fibroid is a type 1 (less than 50% into the myometrium) or type 2 (more than 50%). What is the role for a classification system such as the FIGO?

Dr. Anderson: I like the FIGO classification system. We can show the patient fibroid classification diagrammatically and she will be able to understand exactly what we are talking about. It’s helpful for patient education and for surgical planning. The approach to a type 0 fibroid is a no-brainer, but with type 1 and more specifically with type 2, where the bulk of the fibroid is intramural and only a portion of that is intracavitary, fibroid size begins to matter a lot in terms of treatment approach.

Sometimes although a fibroid is intracavitary, a laparoscopic rather than hysteroscopic approach is preferred, as long as you can dissect the fibroid away from the endometrium. FIGO classification is very helpful, but I agree with Dr. Bradley that first you need to do a thorough evaluation to make your operative plan.

Continue to: Dr. Sanfilippo...

Dr. Sanfilippo: I encourage residents to go through an orderly sequence of assessment for evaluating abnormal uterine bleeding, including anatomic and endocrinologic factors. The PALM-COEIN classification system is a great mnemonic for use in evaluating abnormal uterine bleeding (TABLE).⁵ Is there a role for an aid such as PALM-COEIN in your practice?

The PALM-COEIN system helps us to look at 2 things. One is that in addition to structural causes, there can be hematologic causes. While it is rare in a 24-year-old, we all have had the anecdotal patient who came in 6 months ago, had a fibroid, but had a platelet count of 6,000. Second, we have to look at the patient as a whole. My residents, myself, and our fellows look at any bleeding. Does she have a bleeding diathesis, bruising, nose bleeds; has she been anemic, does she have pica? Has she had a blood transfusion, is she on certain medications? We do not want to create a “silo” and think that the patient can have only a fibroid, because then we may miss an opportunity to treat other disease states. She can have a fibroid coexisting with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), for instance. I like to look at everything so we can offer appropriate treatment modalities.

Dr. Sanfilippo: You bring up a very important point. Coagulopathies are more common statistically at the earlier part of a woman’s reproductive age group, soon after menarche, but they also occur toward menopause. We have to be cognizant that a woman can develop a coagulopathy throughout the reproductive years.

Dr. Anderson: You have to look at other medical causes. That is where the PALM-COEIN system can help. It helps you take the blinders off. If you focus on the fibroid and treat the fibroid and the patient still has bleeding, you missed something. You have to consider the whole patient and think of all the nonclassical or nonanatomical things, for example, thyroid disease. The PALM-COEIN helps us to evaluate the patient in a methodical way—every patient every time—so you do not miss something.

The value of MRI

Dr. Sanfilippo: What is the role for MRI, and when do you use it? Is it for only when you do a procedure—laparoscopically, robotically, open—so you have a detailed map of the fibroids?

Dr. Anderson: I love MRI, especially for hysteroscopy. I will print out the MRI image and trace the fibroid because there are things I want to know: exactly how much of the fibroid is inside or outside, where this fibroid is in the uterus, and how much of a normal buffer there is between the edge of that fibroid and the serosa. How aggressive can I be, or how cautious do I need to be, during the resection? Maybe this will be a planned 2-stage resection. MRIs are wonderful for fibroid disease, not only for diagnosis but also for surgical planning and patient counseling.

Dr. Bradley: SIS is also very useful. If the patient has an intracavitary fibroid that is larger than 4.5 to 5 cm and we insert the catheter, however, sometimes you cannot distend the cavity very well. Sometimes large intramural fibroids can compress the cavity, making the procedure difficult in an office setting. You cannot see the limits to help you as a surgical option. Although SIS generally is associated with little pain, some patients may have pain, and some patients cannot tolerate the test.

Continue to: I would order an MRI for surgical planning when...

I would order an MRI for surgical planning when a hysteroscopy is equivocal and if I cannot do an SIS. Also, if a patient who had a hysteroscopic resection with incomplete removal comes to me and is still symptomatic, I want to know the depth of penetration.

Obtaining an MRI may sometimes be difficult at a particular institution, and some clinicians have to go through the hurdles of getting an ultrasound to get certified and approved. We have to be our patient’s advocate and do the peer phone calls; any other specialty would require presurgical planning, and we are no different from other surgeons in that regard.

Dr. Sanfilippo: Yes, that can be a stumbling block. In the operating room, I like to have the images right in front of me, ideally an MRI or an ultrasound scan, as I know how to proceed. Having that visual helps me understand how close the fibroid is to the lining of the uterus.

Tapping into radiologists’ expertise

Dr. Bradley: Every quarter we meet with our radiologists, who are very interested in our MRI and SIS reports. They will describe the count and say how many fibroids—that is very helpful instead of just saying she has a bunch of fibroids—but they also will tell us when there is a type 0, a type 2, a type 7 fibroid. The team looks for adenomyosis and for endometriosis that can coexist.

Dr. Anderson: One caution about reading radiology reports is that often someone will come in with a report from an outside hospital or from a small community hospital that may say, “There is a 2-cm submucosal fibroid.” Some people might be tempted to take this person right to the OR, but you need to look at the images yourself, because in a radiologist’s mind “submucosal” truly means under the mucosa, which in our liturgy would be “intramural.” So we need to make sure that we are talking the same language. You should look at the images yourself.

Dr. Sanfilippo: I totally agree. It is also not unreasonable to speak with the radiologists and educate them about the FIGO classification.

Dr. Bradley: I prefer the word “intracavitary” for fibroids. When I see a typed report without the picture, “submucosal” can mean in the cavity or abutting the endometrium.

Case 2: Woman with heavy bleeding and fibroids seeks nonsurgical treatment

Dr. Sanfilippo: A 39-year-old (G3P3) woman is referred for evaluation for heavy vaginal bleeding, soaking a pad in an hour, which has been going on for months. Her primary ObGyn obtained a pelvic sonogram and noted multiple intramural and subserosal fibroids. A sonohysterogram reveals a submucosal myoma.

The patient is not interested in a hysterectomy. She was treated with birth control pills, with no improvement. She is interested in nonsurgical options. Dr. Bradley, what medical treatments might you offer this patient?

Medical treatment options

Dr. Bradley: If oral contraceptives have not worked, a good option would be tranexamic acid. Years ago our hospital was involved with enrolling patients in the multicenter clinical trial of this drug. The classic patient enrolled had regular, predictable, heavy menstrual cycles with alkaline hematin assay of greater than 80. If the case patient described has regular and predictable heavy bleeding every month at the same time, for the same duration, I would consider the use of tranexamic acid. There are several contraindications for the drug, so those exclusion issues would need to be reviewed. Contraindications include subarachnoid hemorrhage. Cerebral edema and cerebral infarction may be caused by tranexamic acid in such patients. Other contraindications include active intravascular clotting and hypersensitivity.

Continue to: Another option is to see if a progestin-releasing intrauterine system...

Another option is to see if a progestin-releasing intrauterine system (IUS) like the levonorgestrel (LNG) IUS would fit into this patient’s uterine cavity. Like Ted, I want to look into that cavity. I am not sure what “submucosal fibroid” means. If it has not distorted the cavity, or is totally within the uterine cavity, or abuts the endometrial cavity. The LNG-IUS cannot be placed into a uterine cavity that has intracavitary fibroids or sounds to greater than 12 cm. We are not going to put an LNG-IUS in somebody, at least in general, with a globally enlarged uterine cavity. I could ask, do you do that? You do a bimanual exam, and it is 18-weeks in size. I am not sure that I would put it in, but does it meet those criteria? The package insert for the LNG-IUS specifies upper and lower limits of uterine size for placement. I would start with those 2 options (tranexamic acid and LNG-IUS), and also get some more imaging.

Dr. Anderson: I agree with Linda. The submucosal fibroid could be contributing to this patient’s bleeding, but it is not the total contribution. The other fibroids may be completely irrelevant as far as her bleeding is concerned. We may need to deal with that one surgically, which we can do without a hysterectomy, most of the time.

I am a big fan of the LNG-IUS, it has been great in my experience. There are some other treatments available as well, such as gonadotropin–releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists. I tell patients that, while GnRH does work, it is not designed to be long-term therapy. If I have, for example, a 49-year-old patient, I just need to get her to menopause. Longer-term GnRH agonists might be a good option in this case. Otherwise, we could use short-term a GnRH agonist to stop the bleeding for a while so that we can reset the clock and get her started on something like levonorgestrel, tranexamic acid, or one of the other medical therapies. That may be a 2-step combination therapy.

Dr. Sanfilippo: There is a whole category of agents available—selective progesterone receptor modulators (SPRMs), pure progesterone receptor antagonists, ulipristal comes to mind. Clinicians need to know that options are available beyond birth control pills.

Dr. Anderson: As I tell patients, there are also “bridge” options. These are interventional procedures that are not hysterectomy, such as uterine fibroid embolization or endometrial ablation if bleeding is really the problem. We might consider a variety of different approaches. Obviously, we do not typically use fibroid embolization for submucosal fibroids, but it depends on how much of the fibroid is intracavitary and how big it is. Other options are a little more aggressive than medical therapy but they do not involve a hysterectomy.

Pros and cons of uterine artery embolization

Dr. Sanfilippo: If a woman desires future childbearing, is there a role for uterine artery embolization? How would you counsel her about the pros and cons?

Dr. Bradley: At the Cleveland Clinic, we generally do not offer uterine artery embolization if the patient wants a child. While it is an excellent method for treating heavy bleeding and bulk symptoms, the endometrium can be impacted. Patients can develop fistula, adhesions, or concentric narrowing, and changes in anti-Müllerian hormone levels, and there is potential for an Asherman-like syndrome and poor perfusion. I have many hysteroscopic images where the anterior wall of the uterus is nice and pink and the posterior wall is totally pale. The embolic microsphere particles can reach the endometrium—I have seen particles in the endometrium when doing a fibroid resection.

Continue to: A good early study looked at 555 women for almost a year...

A good early study looked at 555 women for almost a year.⁶ If women became pregnant, they had a higher rate of postpartum hemorrhage; placenta accreta, increta, and percreta; and emergent hysterectomy. It was recommended that these women deliver at a tertiary care center due to higher rates of preterm labor and malposition.

If a patient wants a baby, she should find a gynecologic surgeon who does minimally invasive laparoscopic, robotic, or open surgery, because she is more likely to have a take-home baby with a surgical approach than with embolization. In my experience, there is always going to be a patient who wants to keep her uterus at age 49 and who has every comorbidity. I might offer her the embolization just knowing what the odds of pregnancy are.

Dr. Anderson: I agree with Linda but I take a more liberal approach. Sometimes we do a myomectomy because we are trying to enhance fertility, while other times we do a myomectomy to address fibroid-related symptoms. These patients are having specific symptoms, and we want to leave the embolization option open.

If I have a patient who is 39 and becoming pregnant is not necessarily her goal, but she does not want to have a hysterectomy and if she got pregnant it would be okay, I am going to treat her a little different with respect to fibroid embolization than I would treat someone who is actively trying to have a baby. This goes back to what you were saying, let’s treat the patient, not just the fibroid.

Dr. Bradley: That is so important and sentinel. If she really does not want a hysterectomy but does not want a baby, I will ask, “Would you go through in vitro fertilization? Would you take clomiphene?” If she answers no, then I feel more comfortable, like you, with referring the patient for uterine fibroid embolization. The point is to get the patient with the right team to get the best outcomes.

Surgical approaches, intraoperative agents, and suture technique

Dr. Sanfilippo: Dr. Anderson, tell us about your surgical approaches to fibroids.

Dr. Anderson: At my institution we do have a fellowship in minimally invasive surgery, but I still do a lot of open myomectomies. I have a few guidelines to determine whether I am going to proceed laparoscopically, do a little minilaparotomy incision, or if a gigantic uterus is going to require a big incision. My mantra to my fellows has always been, “minimally invasive is the impact on the patient, not the size of the incision.”

Sometimes, prolonged anesthesia and Trendelenburg create more morbidity than a minilaparotomy. If a patient has 4 or 5 fibroids and most of them are intramural and I cannot see them but I want to be able to feel them, and to get a really good closure of the myometrium, I might choose to do a minilaparotomy. But if it is a case of a solitary fibroid, I would be more inclined to operate laparoscopically.

Continue to: Dr. Bradley...

Dr. Bradley: Our protocol is similar. We use MRI liberally. If patients have 4 or more fibroids and they are larger than 8 cm, most will have open surgery. I do not do robotic or laparoscopic procedures, so my referral source is for the larger myomas. We do not put retractors in; we can make incisions. Even if we do a huge Maylard incision, it is cosmetically wonderful. We use a loading dose of IV tranexamic acid with tranexamic acid throughout the surgery, and misoprostol intravaginally prior to surgery, to control uterine bleeding.

Dr. Sanfilippo: Dr. Anderson, is there a role for agents such as vasopressin, and what about routes of administration?

Dr. Anderson: When I do a laparoscopic or open procedure, I inject vasopressin (dilute 20 U in 100 mL of saline) into the pseudocapsule around the fibroid. I also administer rectal misoprostol (400 µg) just before the patient prep is done, which is amazing in reducing blood loss. There is also a role for a GnRH agonist, not necessarily to reduce the size of the uterus but to reduce blood flow in the pelvis and blood loss. Many different techniques are available. I do not use tourniquets, however. If bleeding does occur, I want to see it so I can fix it—not after I have sewn up the uterus and taken off a tourniquet.

Dr. Bradley: Do you use Floseal hemostatic matrix or any other agent to control bleeding?

Dr. Anderson: I do, for local hemostasis.

Dr. Bradley: Some surgeons will use barbed suture.

Dr. Anderson: I do like barbed sutures. In teaching residents to do myomectomy, it is very beneficial. But I am still a big fan of the good old figure-of-8 stitch because it is compressive and you get a good apposition of the tissue, good hemostasis, and strong closure.

Dr. Sanfilippo: We hope that this conversation will change your management of uterine fibroids. I thank Dr. Bradley and Dr. Anderson for a lively and very informative discussion.

Watch the video: Video roundtable–Fibroids: Patient considerations in medical and surgical management

Uterine fibroids (myomas or leiomyomas) are common and can cause considerable morbidity, including infertility, in reproductive-aged women. In this roundtable discussion, moderated by OBG Management Editorial Board member Joseph S. Sanfilippo, MD, MBA, 2 experts discuss imaging technologies and classification systems for assessing fibroids, various medical and surgical treatment options, and patient reproductive goals to consider when counseling women with fibroids.

Perspectives on a pervasive problem

Joseph S. Sanfilippo, MD, MBA: First let’s discuss the scope of the problem. How prevalent are uterine fibroids, and what are their effects on quality of life?

Linda D. Bradley, MD: Fibroids are extremely prevalent. Depending on age and race, between 60% and 80% of women have them.¹ About 50% of women with fibroids have no symptoms²; in symptomatic women, the symptoms may vary based on age. Fibroids are more common in women from the African diaspora, who have earlier onset of symptoms, very large or more numerous fibroids, and more symptomatic fibroids, according to some clinical studies.³ While it is a very common disease state, about half of women with fibroids may not have significant symptoms that warrant anything more than watchful waiting or some minimally invasive options.

Ted L. Anderson, MD, PhD: We probably underestimate the scope because we see people coming in with fibroids only when they have a specific problem. There probably are a lot of asymptomatic women out there that we do not know about.

Case 1: Abnormal uterine bleeding in a young woman desiring pregnancy in the near future

Dr. Sanfilippo: Abnormal uterine bleeding is a common dilemma in my practice. Consider the following case example.

A 24-year-old woman (G1P1) presents with heavy, irregular menses over 6 months’ duration. She is interested in pregnancy, not immediately but in several months. She passes clots, soaks a pad in an hour, and has dysmenorrhea and fatigue. She uses no birth control. She is very distraught, as this bleeding truly has changed her lifestyle.

What is your approach to counseling this patient?

Dr. Bradley: You described a woman whose quality of life is very poor—frequent pad changes, clotting, pain. And she wants to have a child. A patient coming to me with those symptoms does not need to wait 4 to 6 months. I would immediately do some early evaluation.

Dr. Anderson: Sometimes a patient comes to us and already has had an ultrasonography exam. That is helpful, but I am driven by the fact that this patient is interested in pregnancy. I want to look at the uterine cavity and will probably do an office hysteroscopy to see if she has fibroids that distort the uterine cavity. Are there fibroids inside the cavity? To what degree does that possibly play a role? The presence of fibroids does not necessarily mean there is distortion of the cavity, and some evidence suggests that you do not need to do anything about those fibroids.⁴ Fibroids actually may not be the source of bleeding. We need to keep an open mind when we do the evaluation.

Continue to: Imaging technologies and classification aids...

Imaging technologies and classification aids

Dr. Sanfilippo: Apropos to your comment, is there a role for a sonohysterography in this population?

Dr. Anderson: That is a great technique. Some clinicians prefer to use sonohysterography while others prefer hysteroscopy. I tend to use hysteroscopy, and I have the equipment in the office. Both are great techniques and they answer the same question with respect to cavity evaluation.

Dr. Bradley: We once studied about 150 patients who, on the same day, with 2 separate examiners (one being me), would first undergo saline infusion sonohysterography (SIS) and then hysteroscopy, or vice versa. The sensitivity of identifying an intracavitary lesion is quite good with both. The additional benefit with SIS is that you can look at the adnexa.

In terms of the classification by the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (FIGO), sometimes when we do a hysteroscopy, we are not sure how deep a fibroid is—whether it is a type 1 or type 2 or how close it is to the serosa (see illustration, page 26). Are we seeing just the tip of the iceberg? There is a role for imaging, and it is not always an “either/or” situation. There are times, for example, that hysteroscopy will show a type 0. Other times it may not show that, and you look for other things in terms of whether a fibroid abuts the endometrium. The take-home message is that physicians should abandon endometrial biopsy alone and, in this case, not offer a D&C.

In evaluating the endometrium, as gynecologists we should be facile in both technologies. In our workplaces we need to advocate to get trained, to be certified, and to be able to offer both technologies, because sometimes you need both to obtain the right answer.

Dr. Sanfilippo: Let’s talk about the FIGO classification, because it is important to have a communication method not only between physicians but with the patient. If we determine that a fibroid is a type 0, and therefore totally intracavitary, management is different than if the fibroid is a type 1 (less than 50% into the myometrium) or type 2 (more than 50%). What is the role for a classification system such as the FIGO?

Dr. Anderson: I like the FIGO classification system. We can show the patient fibroid classification diagrammatically and she will be able to understand exactly what we are talking about. It’s helpful for patient education and for surgical planning. The approach to a type 0 fibroid is a no-brainer, but with type 1 and more specifically with type 2, where the bulk of the fibroid is intramural and only a portion of that is intracavitary, fibroid size begins to matter a lot in terms of treatment approach.

Sometimes although a fibroid is intracavitary, a laparoscopic rather than hysteroscopic approach is preferred, as long as you can dissect the fibroid away from the endometrium. FIGO classification is very helpful, but I agree with Dr. Bradley that first you need to do a thorough evaluation to make your operative plan.

Continue to: Dr. Sanfilippo...

Dr. Sanfilippo: I encourage residents to go through an orderly sequence of assessment for evaluating abnormal uterine bleeding, including anatomic and endocrinologic factors. The PALM-COEIN classification system is a great mnemonic for use in evaluating abnormal uterine bleeding (TABLE).⁵ Is there a role for an aid such as PALM-COEIN in your practice?

The PALM-COEIN system helps us to look at 2 things. One is that in addition to structural causes, there can be hematologic causes. While it is rare in a 24-year-old, we all have had the anecdotal patient who came in 6 months ago, had a fibroid, but had a platelet count of 6,000. Second, we have to look at the patient as a whole. My residents, myself, and our fellows look at any bleeding. Does she have a bleeding diathesis, bruising, nose bleeds; has she been anemic, does she have pica? Has she had a blood transfusion, is she on certain medications? We do not want to create a “silo” and think that the patient can have only a fibroid, because then we may miss an opportunity to treat other disease states. She can have a fibroid coexisting with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), for instance. I like to look at everything so we can offer appropriate treatment modalities.

Dr. Sanfilippo: You bring up a very important point. Coagulopathies are more common statistically at the earlier part of a woman’s reproductive age group, soon after menarche, but they also occur toward menopause. We have to be cognizant that a woman can develop a coagulopathy throughout the reproductive years.

Dr. Anderson: You have to look at other medical causes. That is where the PALM-COEIN system can help. It helps you take the blinders off. If you focus on the fibroid and treat the fibroid and the patient still has bleeding, you missed something. You have to consider the whole patient and think of all the nonclassical or nonanatomical things, for example, thyroid disease. The PALM-COEIN helps us to evaluate the patient in a methodical way—every patient every time—so you do not miss something.

The value of MRI

Dr. Sanfilippo: What is the role for MRI, and when do you use it? Is it for only when you do a procedure—laparoscopically, robotically, open—so you have a detailed map of the fibroids?

Dr. Anderson: I love MRI, especially for hysteroscopy. I will print out the MRI image and trace the fibroid because there are things I want to know: exactly how much of the fibroid is inside or outside, where this fibroid is in the uterus, and how much of a normal buffer there is between the edge of that fibroid and the serosa. How aggressive can I be, or how cautious do I need to be, during the resection? Maybe this will be a planned 2-stage resection. MRIs are wonderful for fibroid disease, not only for diagnosis but also for surgical planning and patient counseling.

Dr. Bradley: SIS is also very useful. If the patient has an intracavitary fibroid that is larger than 4.5 to 5 cm and we insert the catheter, however, sometimes you cannot distend the cavity very well. Sometimes large intramural fibroids can compress the cavity, making the procedure difficult in an office setting. You cannot see the limits to help you as a surgical option. Although SIS generally is associated with little pain, some patients may have pain, and some patients cannot tolerate the test.

Continue to: I would order an MRI for surgical planning when...

I would order an MRI for surgical planning when a hysteroscopy is equivocal and if I cannot do an SIS. Also, if a patient who had a hysteroscopic resection with incomplete removal comes to me and is still symptomatic, I want to know the depth of penetration.

Obtaining an MRI may sometimes be difficult at a particular institution, and some clinicians have to go through the hurdles of getting an ultrasound to get certified and approved. We have to be our patient’s advocate and do the peer phone calls; any other specialty would require presurgical planning, and we are no different from other surgeons in that regard.

Dr. Sanfilippo: Yes, that can be a stumbling block. In the operating room, I like to have the images right in front of me, ideally an MRI or an ultrasound scan, as I know how to proceed. Having that visual helps me understand how close the fibroid is to the lining of the uterus.

Tapping into radiologists’ expertise

Dr. Bradley: Every quarter we meet with our radiologists, who are very interested in our MRI and SIS reports. They will describe the count and say how many fibroids—that is very helpful instead of just saying she has a bunch of fibroids—but they also will tell us when there is a type 0, a type 2, a type 7 fibroid. The team looks for adenomyosis and for endometriosis that can coexist.

Dr. Anderson: One caution about reading radiology reports is that often someone will come in with a report from an outside hospital or from a small community hospital that may say, “There is a 2-cm submucosal fibroid.” Some people might be tempted to take this person right to the OR, but you need to look at the images yourself, because in a radiologist’s mind “submucosal” truly means under the mucosa, which in our liturgy would be “intramural.” So we need to make sure that we are talking the same language. You should look at the images yourself.

Dr. Sanfilippo: I totally agree. It is also not unreasonable to speak with the radiologists and educate them about the FIGO classification.

Dr. Bradley: I prefer the word “intracavitary” for fibroids. When I see a typed report without the picture, “submucosal” can mean in the cavity or abutting the endometrium.

Case 2: Woman with heavy bleeding and fibroids seeks nonsurgical treatment

Dr. Sanfilippo: A 39-year-old (G3P3) woman is referred for evaluation for heavy vaginal bleeding, soaking a pad in an hour, which has been going on for months. Her primary ObGyn obtained a pelvic sonogram and noted multiple intramural and subserosal fibroids. A sonohysterogram reveals a submucosal myoma.

The patient is not interested in a hysterectomy. She was treated with birth control pills, with no improvement. She is interested in nonsurgical options. Dr. Bradley, what medical treatments might you offer this patient?

Medical treatment options

Dr. Bradley: If oral contraceptives have not worked, a good option would be tranexamic acid. Years ago our hospital was involved with enrolling patients in the multicenter clinical trial of this drug. The classic patient enrolled had regular, predictable, heavy menstrual cycles with alkaline hematin assay of greater than 80. If the case patient described has regular and predictable heavy bleeding every month at the same time, for the same duration, I would consider the use of tranexamic acid. There are several contraindications for the drug, so those exclusion issues would need to be reviewed. Contraindications include subarachnoid hemorrhage. Cerebral edema and cerebral infarction may be caused by tranexamic acid in such patients. Other contraindications include active intravascular clotting and hypersensitivity.

Continue to: Another option is to see if a progestin-releasing intrauterine system...

Another option is to see if a progestin-releasing intrauterine system (IUS) like the levonorgestrel (LNG) IUS would fit into this patient’s uterine cavity. Like Ted, I want to look into that cavity. I am not sure what “submucosal fibroid” means. If it has not distorted the cavity, or is totally within the uterine cavity, or abuts the endometrial cavity. The LNG-IUS cannot be placed into a uterine cavity that has intracavitary fibroids or sounds to greater than 12 cm. We are not going to put an LNG-IUS in somebody, at least in general, with a globally enlarged uterine cavity. I could ask, do you do that? You do a bimanual exam, and it is 18-weeks in size. I am not sure that I would put it in, but does it meet those criteria? The package insert for the LNG-IUS specifies upper and lower limits of uterine size for placement. I would start with those 2 options (tranexamic acid and LNG-IUS), and also get some more imaging.

Dr. Anderson: I agree with Linda. The submucosal fibroid could be contributing to this patient’s bleeding, but it is not the total contribution. The other fibroids may be completely irrelevant as far as her bleeding is concerned. We may need to deal with that one surgically, which we can do without a hysterectomy, most of the time.

I am a big fan of the LNG-IUS, it has been great in my experience. There are some other treatments available as well, such as gonadotropin–releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists. I tell patients that, while GnRH does work, it is not designed to be long-term therapy. If I have, for example, a 49-year-old patient, I just need to get her to menopause. Longer-term GnRH agonists might be a good option in this case. Otherwise, we could use short-term a GnRH agonist to stop the bleeding for a while so that we can reset the clock and get her started on something like levonorgestrel, tranexamic acid, or one of the other medical therapies. That may be a 2-step combination therapy.

Dr. Sanfilippo: There is a whole category of agents available—selective progesterone receptor modulators (SPRMs), pure progesterone receptor antagonists, ulipristal comes to mind. Clinicians need to know that options are available beyond birth control pills.

Dr. Anderson: As I tell patients, there are also “bridge” options. These are interventional procedures that are not hysterectomy, such as uterine fibroid embolization or endometrial ablation if bleeding is really the problem. We might consider a variety of different approaches. Obviously, we do not typically use fibroid embolization for submucosal fibroids, but it depends on how much of the fibroid is intracavitary and how big it is. Other options are a little more aggressive than medical therapy but they do not involve a hysterectomy.

Pros and cons of uterine artery embolization

Dr. Sanfilippo: If a woman desires future childbearing, is there a role for uterine artery embolization? How would you counsel her about the pros and cons?

Dr. Bradley: At the Cleveland Clinic, we generally do not offer uterine artery embolization if the patient wants a child. While it is an excellent method for treating heavy bleeding and bulk symptoms, the endometrium can be impacted. Patients can develop fistula, adhesions, or concentric narrowing, and changes in anti-Müllerian hormone levels, and there is potential for an Asherman-like syndrome and poor perfusion. I have many hysteroscopic images where the anterior wall of the uterus is nice and pink and the posterior wall is totally pale. The embolic microsphere particles can reach the endometrium—I have seen particles in the endometrium when doing a fibroid resection.

Continue to: A good early study looked at 555 women for almost a year...

A good early study looked at 555 women for almost a year.⁶ If women became pregnant, they had a higher rate of postpartum hemorrhage; placenta accreta, increta, and percreta; and emergent hysterectomy. It was recommended that these women deliver at a tertiary care center due to higher rates of preterm labor and malposition.

If a patient wants a baby, she should find a gynecologic surgeon who does minimally invasive laparoscopic, robotic, or open surgery, because she is more likely to have a take-home baby with a surgical approach than with embolization. In my experience, there is always going to be a patient who wants to keep her uterus at age 49 and who has every comorbidity. I might offer her the embolization just knowing what the odds of pregnancy are.

Dr. Anderson: I agree with Linda but I take a more liberal approach. Sometimes we do a myomectomy because we are trying to enhance fertility, while other times we do a myomectomy to address fibroid-related symptoms. These patients are having specific symptoms, and we want to leave the embolization option open.

If I have a patient who is 39 and becoming pregnant is not necessarily her goal, but she does not want to have a hysterectomy and if she got pregnant it would be okay, I am going to treat her a little different with respect to fibroid embolization than I would treat someone who is actively trying to have a baby. This goes back to what you were saying, let’s treat the patient, not just the fibroid.

Dr. Bradley: That is so important and sentinel. If she really does not want a hysterectomy but does not want a baby, I will ask, “Would you go through in vitro fertilization? Would you take clomiphene?” If she answers no, then I feel more comfortable, like you, with referring the patient for uterine fibroid embolization. The point is to get the patient with the right team to get the best outcomes.

Surgical approaches, intraoperative agents, and suture technique

Dr. Sanfilippo: Dr. Anderson, tell us about your surgical approaches to fibroids.

Dr. Anderson: At my institution we do have a fellowship in minimally invasive surgery, but I still do a lot of open myomectomies. I have a few guidelines to determine whether I am going to proceed laparoscopically, do a little minilaparotomy incision, or if a gigantic uterus is going to require a big incision. My mantra to my fellows has always been, “minimally invasive is the impact on the patient, not the size of the incision.”

Sometimes, prolonged anesthesia and Trendelenburg create more morbidity than a minilaparotomy. If a patient has 4 or 5 fibroids and most of them are intramural and I cannot see them but I want to be able to feel them, and to get a really good closure of the myometrium, I might choose to do a minilaparotomy. But if it is a case of a solitary fibroid, I would be more inclined to operate laparoscopically.

Continue to: Dr. Bradley...

Dr. Bradley: Our protocol is similar. We use MRI liberally. If patients have 4 or more fibroids and they are larger than 8 cm, most will have open surgery. I do not do robotic or laparoscopic procedures, so my referral source is for the larger myomas. We do not put retractors in; we can make incisions. Even if we do a huge Maylard incision, it is cosmetically wonderful. We use a loading dose of IV tranexamic acid with tranexamic acid throughout the surgery, and misoprostol intravaginally prior to surgery, to control uterine bleeding.

Dr. Sanfilippo: Dr. Anderson, is there a role for agents such as vasopressin, and what about routes of administration?

Dr. Anderson: When I do a laparoscopic or open procedure, I inject vasopressin (dilute 20 U in 100 mL of saline) into the pseudocapsule around the fibroid. I also administer rectal misoprostol (400 µg) just before the patient prep is done, which is amazing in reducing blood loss. There is also a role for a GnRH agonist, not necessarily to reduce the size of the uterus but to reduce blood flow in the pelvis and blood loss. Many different techniques are available. I do not use tourniquets, however. If bleeding does occur, I want to see it so I can fix it—not after I have sewn up the uterus and taken off a tourniquet.

Dr. Bradley: Do you use Floseal hemostatic matrix or any other agent to control bleeding?

Dr. Anderson: I do, for local hemostasis.

Dr. Bradley: Some surgeons will use barbed suture.

Dr. Anderson: I do like barbed sutures. In teaching residents to do myomectomy, it is very beneficial. But I am still a big fan of the good old figure-of-8 stitch because it is compressive and you get a good apposition of the tissue, good hemostasis, and strong closure.

Dr. Sanfilippo: We hope that this conversation will change your management of uterine fibroids. I thank Dr. Bradley and Dr. Anderson for a lively and very informative discussion.

Watch the video: Video roundtable–Fibroids: Patient considerations in medical and surgical management

Read the article: Fibroids: Patient considerations in medical and surgical management

Read the article: Fibroids: Patient considerations in medical and surgical management

Read the article: Fibroids: Patient considerations in medical and surgical management

Over the past 3 decades, the prevalence of overweight and obesity has increased dramatically in the United States. A study published in 2016 showed the age-adjusted prevalence of obesity in 2013–2014 was 35% among men and 40.4% among women.¹ It comes as no surprise that increased reliance on inexpensive fast foods coupled with progressively more sedentary lifestyles have been implicated as causative factors.²

With the rise in obesity also has come an attendant rise in related chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease. Women who are obese are also at risk for certain women’s health conditions, such as polycystic ovary syndrome, breast cancer, and endometrial cancer.

It is clear that curbing this public health crisis will require concerted efforts from individuals, clinicians, and policy makers, as well as changes in societal norms. OBG Management recently caught up with wellness expert Linda D. Bradley, MD, who shared in her latest book, “Us! Our Life. Our Health.” Our Legacy,” some practical strategies clinicians can use to help their patients manage their weight and prevent or reverse chronic diseases.

OBG Management: In your book you describe Jane, a patient who was severely overweight and who had low self-esteem. ³ You took 2 hours to convince Jane to talk about her clinical problems. That was clearly a heroic intervention on your part as the physician. What advice do you have for time-strapped clinicians who have patients who may need to face mental barriers in order to begin to address physical ailments?

Linda D. Bradley, MD: I think it is important for us not to lecture our patients. I could list all of the things that patients should or could do to prevent or even reverse disease states, in terms of eating right and exercising, but I think motivational interviewing is a more productive approach to elicit and evoke change (see “Principles and practice of motivational interviewing”). I used to preach to my patients. I would say, “You know, if you stay at this weight, you’re going to get diabetes, you’re going to increase your breast cancer risk, you’re going to have abnormal bleeding, you’re not going to be able to get pregnant,” and so on. It is easy to slip into that in the 7 minutes that you have with your patient, but to me, that is not the right way.

With motivational interviewing, our interactions with patients are shaped by:

• asking
• advising
• assisting
• arranging.

We begin by asking permission: “Do you mind if we talk about your weight?” or “Can we talk about your level of exercise?” Once the patient has granted permission, we ask open-ended questions and use reflective listening: “What I hear you saying is that you are concerned you will not be able to lose the weight,” or “It sounds like you don’t like to exercise, but you are worried about the health consequences of that.”

I find these skills useful for addressing anything from smoking to drinking to weight management to excessive shopping—any extreme behavior that is affecting a patient negatively. When a patient is not ready to talk about her clinical problems or make changes, I let her know my door is always open to her and that I have many resources available to help her when she is ready (TABLE).⁴ In those cases, I might say something like, “I have many patients who really don’t want to talk about this when I first ask them, but I just want you to know, Mrs. Jones, that I want you to succeed and I want you to be healthy. We have a team approach to taking care of all of you, and when you are ready, we are here to help.”

Related article:
2017 Update on fertility: Effects of obesity on reproduction

It is important to provide practical advice to patients—including how much to exercise, the importance of keeping a food journal, and determining a goal for slow, safe weight loss—and provide resources as necessary (such as for Weight Watchers, nutrition, and dieticians). Each day we have more than 30 opportunities to select foods to eat, drink, or purchase. Have a plan and advise your patients do the same. Recommend patients cook their own meals. Suggest weight loss apps. Counsel them to celebrate successes, find a buddy (for social support), practice positive self-talk (positive language), and plan for challenges (travel, parties, working late) and setbacks, which do not need to become a fall. Find an activity or exercise that the patient enjoys and tell them to seek professional help if needed.

Read about how to educate your patients on wellness.

OBG Management: You mention in your book that 70% to 80% of people now in hospitals are there because of diseases preventable through lifestyle choice. What are the women’s health conditions on that list?

Dr. Bradley: About 86% of the health care dollars spent in the United States are due to chronic diseases, and chronic diseases are the leading cause of death and disability in the country.⁵ The most common chronic diseases—cardiovascular disease, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, colon cancer, depression, dementia, cognitive problems, higher rates of fractures—all have been associated, at least in part, with unhealthy food choices and lack of exercise. That applies to breast cancer, too.

The good news is, we can prevent and even reverse disease. As Hippocrates said, let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food. We have all seen success stories where consistent exercise and dietary changes definitely change the paradigm for what the disease state represents. A multiplicity of factors affect poor health—noncompliance, obesity, smoking—but when we begin to make consistent, healthy changes with diet and exercise, this creates a sort of domino effect.

OBG Management: You discuss chronic illness as preventable, manageable, and reversible. Where do you see the women’s health clinician’s role in the management of reversal?

Dr. Bradley: I think we need to get to the root cause of these clinical problems and provide the resources and support that patients need to reverse or even prevent these diseases. Clinicians need to become more aware—be an example and a role model. Our patients are watching us as much as we are watching them. Together, we can form good partnerships in order to promote better health.

OBG Management: Do you encourage your patients to write a wellness contract?

Dr. Bradley: I think when you are about to be a change agent for your body and become what I call the best version of yourself, you can have these great ideas, but you need to turn those ideas into actions and make them consistent. And we know that is difficult to do, so I do try to have patients write down specific goals, their plan for achieving them, and list the reasons why it is important for them to reach their goals. That gives them something tangible to look at when the going gets tough. It is also important to work into the contract ways to reward positive behaviors when goals are met, and to plan for challenges and setbacks and how to get back on track.

I also encourage patients to document their progress and learn how to make quick adjustments when necessary to get back on track. Another important element involves setting milestones—by what date are you going to reach this goal? Like any other contract, I have my patients date and sign their wellness contracts. I also encourage them to visualize what their new self is going to look like, how they will feel when they reach their goal, what they will wear, and what activities they will engage in.

Related article:
Obesity medicine: How to incorporate it into your practice

OBG Management: Do you think that physicians have a role in educating their patients on food labels and dietary intake?

Dr. Bradley: I do, but the amount of nutrition education that most of us get in medical school is minimal to nonexistent and not practical. As physicians, we know that food is health, exercise is fitness, and that our patients need both of them. We also know that we did not get this information in school and that our education was more about treating disease than preventing disease. Many of us were not trained in robot surgery either, because it did not exist. So what did we do? We took classes, attended lectures, read books, and learned. We can do the same with wellness. There are many courses around the country. We have to begin to relearn and reteach ourselves about health, nutrition, and exercise and then pass that information on to our patients—be a resource and a guide. We should be able to write a prescription for health as quickly as we can write a prescription for insulin or a statin.

I also bring up portion distortion with my patients. The National Institutes of Health has resources on their website (https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational /wecan/eat-right/portion-distortion.html) that include great visuals that show portion sizes 20 years ago and what they are now. For instance, 20 years ago a bagel was 3 inches and 140 calories; today’s bagel is 6 inches and 350 calories (plus whatever toppings are added). I tell that to my patients and then explain how much more exercise is needed to burn off just that 1 bagel.

Related article:
How to help your patients control gestational weight gain

OBG Management: Epigenetics: Do patients know about it?

Dr. Bradley: They may not know that term directly, but I think people understand that you have the potential to pass on poor lifestyle and/or health issues related to how things are when you are in utero and later in life. It gets back to letting people know to be healthy in pregnancy and even pre-pregnancy, and that includes one’s emotional state, physical state, and spiritual state. We are what we are in our mother’s womb. Getting the best start in life starts with a healthy mom, healthy dad, and a healthy environment.

Share your thoughts! Send your Letter to the Editor to rbarbieri@frontlinemedcom.com. Please include your name and the city and state in which you practice.

Over the past 3 decades, the prevalence of overweight and obesity has increased dramatically in the United States. A study published in 2016 showed the age-adjusted prevalence of obesity in 2013–2014 was 35% among men and 40.4% among women.¹ It comes as no surprise that increased reliance on inexpensive fast foods coupled with progressively more sedentary lifestyles have been implicated as causative factors.²

With the rise in obesity also has come an attendant rise in related chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease. Women who are obese are also at risk for certain women’s health conditions, such as polycystic ovary syndrome, breast cancer, and endometrial cancer.

It is clear that curbing this public health crisis will require concerted efforts from individuals, clinicians, and policy makers, as well as changes in societal norms. OBG Management recently caught up with wellness expert Linda D. Bradley, MD, who shared in her latest book, “Us! Our Life. Our Health.” Our Legacy,” some practical strategies clinicians can use to help their patients manage their weight and prevent or reverse chronic diseases.

OBG Management: In your book you describe Jane, a patient who was severely overweight and who had low self-esteem. ³ You took 2 hours to convince Jane to talk about her clinical problems. That was clearly a heroic intervention on your part as the physician. What advice do you have for time-strapped clinicians who have patients who may need to face mental barriers in order to begin to address physical ailments?

Linda D. Bradley, MD: I think it is important for us not to lecture our patients. I could list all of the things that patients should or could do to prevent or even reverse disease states, in terms of eating right and exercising, but I think motivational interviewing is a more productive approach to elicit and evoke change (see “Principles and practice of motivational interviewing”). I used to preach to my patients. I would say, “You know, if you stay at this weight, you’re going to get diabetes, you’re going to increase your breast cancer risk, you’re going to have abnormal bleeding, you’re not going to be able to get pregnant,” and so on. It is easy to slip into that in the 7 minutes that you have with your patient, but to me, that is not the right way.

With motivational interviewing, our interactions with patients are shaped by:

• asking
• advising
• assisting
• arranging.

We begin by asking permission: “Do you mind if we talk about your weight?” or “Can we talk about your level of exercise?” Once the patient has granted permission, we ask open-ended questions and use reflective listening: “What I hear you saying is that you are concerned you will not be able to lose the weight,” or “It sounds like you don’t like to exercise, but you are worried about the health consequences of that.”

I find these skills useful for addressing anything from smoking to drinking to weight management to excessive shopping—any extreme behavior that is affecting a patient negatively. When a patient is not ready to talk about her clinical problems or make changes, I let her know my door is always open to her and that I have many resources available to help her when she is ready (TABLE).⁴ In those cases, I might say something like, “I have many patients who really don’t want to talk about this when I first ask them, but I just want you to know, Mrs. Jones, that I want you to succeed and I want you to be healthy. We have a team approach to taking care of all of you, and when you are ready, we are here to help.”

Related article:
2017 Update on fertility: Effects of obesity on reproduction

It is important to provide practical advice to patients—including how much to exercise, the importance of keeping a food journal, and determining a goal for slow, safe weight loss—and provide resources as necessary (such as for Weight Watchers, nutrition, and dieticians). Each day we have more than 30 opportunities to select foods to eat, drink, or purchase. Have a plan and advise your patients do the same. Recommend patients cook their own meals. Suggest weight loss apps. Counsel them to celebrate successes, find a buddy (for social support), practice positive self-talk (positive language), and plan for challenges (travel, parties, working late) and setbacks, which do not need to become a fall. Find an activity or exercise that the patient enjoys and tell them to seek professional help if needed.

Read about how to educate your patients on wellness.

OBG Management: You mention in your book that 70% to 80% of people now in hospitals are there because of diseases preventable through lifestyle choice. What are the women’s health conditions on that list?

Dr. Bradley: About 86% of the health care dollars spent in the United States are due to chronic diseases, and chronic diseases are the leading cause of death and disability in the country.⁵ The most common chronic diseases—cardiovascular disease, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, colon cancer, depression, dementia, cognitive problems, higher rates of fractures—all have been associated, at least in part, with unhealthy food choices and lack of exercise. That applies to breast cancer, too.

The good news is, we can prevent and even reverse disease. As Hippocrates said, let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food. We have all seen success stories where consistent exercise and dietary changes definitely change the paradigm for what the disease state represents. A multiplicity of factors affect poor health—noncompliance, obesity, smoking—but when we begin to make consistent, healthy changes with diet and exercise, this creates a sort of domino effect.

OBG Management: You discuss chronic illness as preventable, manageable, and reversible. Where do you see the women’s health clinician’s role in the management of reversal?

Dr. Bradley: I think we need to get to the root cause of these clinical problems and provide the resources and support that patients need to reverse or even prevent these diseases. Clinicians need to become more aware—be an example and a role model. Our patients are watching us as much as we are watching them. Together, we can form good partnerships in order to promote better health.

OBG Management: Do you encourage your patients to write a wellness contract?

Dr. Bradley: I think when you are about to be a change agent for your body and become what I call the best version of yourself, you can have these great ideas, but you need to turn those ideas into actions and make them consistent. And we know that is difficult to do, so I do try to have patients write down specific goals, their plan for achieving them, and list the reasons why it is important for them to reach their goals. That gives them something tangible to look at when the going gets tough. It is also important to work into the contract ways to reward positive behaviors when goals are met, and to plan for challenges and setbacks and how to get back on track.

I also encourage patients to document their progress and learn how to make quick adjustments when necessary to get back on track. Another important element involves setting milestones—by what date are you going to reach this goal? Like any other contract, I have my patients date and sign their wellness contracts. I also encourage them to visualize what their new self is going to look like, how they will feel when they reach their goal, what they will wear, and what activities they will engage in.

Related article:
Obesity medicine: How to incorporate it into your practice

OBG Management: Do you think that physicians have a role in educating their patients on food labels and dietary intake?

Dr. Bradley: I do, but the amount of nutrition education that most of us get in medical school is minimal to nonexistent and not practical. As physicians, we know that food is health, exercise is fitness, and that our patients need both of them. We also know that we did not get this information in school and that our education was more about treating disease than preventing disease. Many of us were not trained in robot surgery either, because it did not exist. So what did we do? We took classes, attended lectures, read books, and learned. We can do the same with wellness. There are many courses around the country. We have to begin to relearn and reteach ourselves about health, nutrition, and exercise and then pass that information on to our patients—be a resource and a guide. We should be able to write a prescription for health as quickly as we can write a prescription for insulin or a statin.

I also bring up portion distortion with my patients. The National Institutes of Health has resources on their website (https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational /wecan/eat-right/portion-distortion.html) that include great visuals that show portion sizes 20 years ago and what they are now. For instance, 20 years ago a bagel was 3 inches and 140 calories; today’s bagel is 6 inches and 350 calories (plus whatever toppings are added). I tell that to my patients and then explain how much more exercise is needed to burn off just that 1 bagel.

Related article:
How to help your patients control gestational weight gain

OBG Management: Epigenetics: Do patients know about it?

Dr. Bradley: They may not know that term directly, but I think people understand that you have the potential to pass on poor lifestyle and/or health issues related to how things are when you are in utero and later in life. It gets back to letting people know to be healthy in pregnancy and even pre-pregnancy, and that includes one’s emotional state, physical state, and spiritual state. We are what we are in our mother’s womb. Getting the best start in life starts with a healthy mom, healthy dad, and a healthy environment.

Share your thoughts! Send your Letter to the Editor to rbarbieri@frontlinemedcom.com. Please include your name and the city and state in which you practice.

Over the past 3 decades, the prevalence of overweight and obesity has increased dramatically in the United States. A study published in 2016 showed the age-adjusted prevalence of obesity in 2013–2014 was 35% among men and 40.4% among women.¹ It comes as no surprise that increased reliance on inexpensive fast foods coupled with progressively more sedentary lifestyles have been implicated as causative factors.²

With the rise in obesity also has come an attendant rise in related chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease. Women who are obese are also at risk for certain women’s health conditions, such as polycystic ovary syndrome, breast cancer, and endometrial cancer.

It is clear that curbing this public health crisis will require concerted efforts from individuals, clinicians, and policy makers, as well as changes in societal norms. OBG Management recently caught up with wellness expert Linda D. Bradley, MD, who shared in her latest book, “Us! Our Life. Our Health.” Our Legacy,” some practical strategies clinicians can use to help their patients manage their weight and prevent or reverse chronic diseases.

OBG Management: In your book you describe Jane, a patient who was severely overweight and who had low self-esteem. ³ You took 2 hours to convince Jane to talk about her clinical problems. That was clearly a heroic intervention on your part as the physician. What advice do you have for time-strapped clinicians who have patients who may need to face mental barriers in order to begin to address physical ailments?

Linda D. Bradley, MD: I think it is important for us not to lecture our patients. I could list all of the things that patients should or could do to prevent or even reverse disease states, in terms of eating right and exercising, but I think motivational interviewing is a more productive approach to elicit and evoke change (see “Principles and practice of motivational interviewing”). I used to preach to my patients. I would say, “You know, if you stay at this weight, you’re going to get diabetes, you’re going to increase your breast cancer risk, you’re going to have abnormal bleeding, you’re not going to be able to get pregnant,” and so on. It is easy to slip into that in the 7 minutes that you have with your patient, but to me, that is not the right way.

With motivational interviewing, our interactions with patients are shaped by:

• asking
• advising
• assisting
• arranging.

We begin by asking permission: “Do you mind if we talk about your weight?” or “Can we talk about your level of exercise?” Once the patient has granted permission, we ask open-ended questions and use reflective listening: “What I hear you saying is that you are concerned you will not be able to lose the weight,” or “It sounds like you don’t like to exercise, but you are worried about the health consequences of that.”

I find these skills useful for addressing anything from smoking to drinking to weight management to excessive shopping—any extreme behavior that is affecting a patient negatively. When a patient is not ready to talk about her clinical problems or make changes, I let her know my door is always open to her and that I have many resources available to help her when she is ready (TABLE).⁴ In those cases, I might say something like, “I have many patients who really don’t want to talk about this when I first ask them, but I just want you to know, Mrs. Jones, that I want you to succeed and I want you to be healthy. We have a team approach to taking care of all of you, and when you are ready, we are here to help.”

Related article:
2017 Update on fertility: Effects of obesity on reproduction

It is important to provide practical advice to patients—including how much to exercise, the importance of keeping a food journal, and determining a goal for slow, safe weight loss—and provide resources as necessary (such as for Weight Watchers, nutrition, and dieticians). Each day we have more than 30 opportunities to select foods to eat, drink, or purchase. Have a plan and advise your patients do the same. Recommend patients cook their own meals. Suggest weight loss apps. Counsel them to celebrate successes, find a buddy (for social support), practice positive self-talk (positive language), and plan for challenges (travel, parties, working late) and setbacks, which do not need to become a fall. Find an activity or exercise that the patient enjoys and tell them to seek professional help if needed.

Read about how to educate your patients on wellness.

OBG Management: You mention in your book that 70% to 80% of people now in hospitals are there because of diseases preventable through lifestyle choice. What are the women’s health conditions on that list?

Dr. Bradley: About 86% of the health care dollars spent in the United States are due to chronic diseases, and chronic diseases are the leading cause of death and disability in the country.⁵ The most common chronic diseases—cardiovascular disease, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, colon cancer, depression, dementia, cognitive problems, higher rates of fractures—all have been associated, at least in part, with unhealthy food choices and lack of exercise. That applies to breast cancer, too.

The good news is, we can prevent and even reverse disease. As Hippocrates said, let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food. We have all seen success stories where consistent exercise and dietary changes definitely change the paradigm for what the disease state represents. A multiplicity of factors affect poor health—noncompliance, obesity, smoking—but when we begin to make consistent, healthy changes with diet and exercise, this creates a sort of domino effect.

OBG Management: You discuss chronic illness as preventable, manageable, and reversible. Where do you see the women’s health clinician’s role in the management of reversal?

Dr. Bradley: I think we need to get to the root cause of these clinical problems and provide the resources and support that patients need to reverse or even prevent these diseases. Clinicians need to become more aware—be an example and a role model. Our patients are watching us as much as we are watching them. Together, we can form good partnerships in order to promote better health.

OBG Management: Do you encourage your patients to write a wellness contract?

Dr. Bradley: I think when you are about to be a change agent for your body and become what I call the best version of yourself, you can have these great ideas, but you need to turn those ideas into actions and make them consistent. And we know that is difficult to do, so I do try to have patients write down specific goals, their plan for achieving them, and list the reasons why it is important for them to reach their goals. That gives them something tangible to look at when the going gets tough. It is also important to work into the contract ways to reward positive behaviors when goals are met, and to plan for challenges and setbacks and how to get back on track.

I also encourage patients to document their progress and learn how to make quick adjustments when necessary to get back on track. Another important element involves setting milestones—by what date are you going to reach this goal? Like any other contract, I have my patients date and sign their wellness contracts. I also encourage them to visualize what their new self is going to look like, how they will feel when they reach their goal, what they will wear, and what activities they will engage in.

Related article:
Obesity medicine: How to incorporate it into your practice

OBG Management: Do you think that physicians have a role in educating their patients on food labels and dietary intake?

Dr. Bradley: I do, but the amount of nutrition education that most of us get in medical school is minimal to nonexistent and not practical. As physicians, we know that food is health, exercise is fitness, and that our patients need both of them. We also know that we did not get this information in school and that our education was more about treating disease than preventing disease. Many of us were not trained in robot surgery either, because it did not exist. So what did we do? We took classes, attended lectures, read books, and learned. We can do the same with wellness. There are many courses around the country. We have to begin to relearn and reteach ourselves about health, nutrition, and exercise and then pass that information on to our patients—be a resource and a guide. We should be able to write a prescription for health as quickly as we can write a prescription for insulin or a statin.

I also bring up portion distortion with my patients. The National Institutes of Health has resources on their website (https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational /wecan/eat-right/portion-distortion.html) that include great visuals that show portion sizes 20 years ago and what they are now. For instance, 20 years ago a bagel was 3 inches and 140 calories; today’s bagel is 6 inches and 350 calories (plus whatever toppings are added). I tell that to my patients and then explain how much more exercise is needed to burn off just that 1 bagel.

Related article:
How to help your patients control gestational weight gain

OBG Management: Epigenetics: Do patients know about it?

Dr. Bradley: They may not know that term directly, but I think people understand that you have the potential to pass on poor lifestyle and/or health issues related to how things are when you are in utero and later in life. It gets back to letting people know to be healthy in pregnancy and even pre-pregnancy, and that includes one’s emotional state, physical state, and spiritual state. We are what we are in our mother’s womb. Getting the best start in life starts with a healthy mom, healthy dad, and a healthy environment.

Share your thoughts! Send your Letter to the Editor to rbarbieri@frontlinemedcom.com. Please include your name and the city and state in which you practice.

Resources

• Essure permanent birth control (Bayer) instructions for use

• Essure patient information booklet

• US Food and Drug Administration. Labeling for permanent hysteroscopically-placed tubal implants intended for sterilization: guidance for industry and Food and Drug Administration staff. October 31, 2016

• Visit the companion article

Resources

• Essure permanent birth control (Bayer) instructions for use

• Essure patient information booklet

• US Food and Drug Administration. Labeling for permanent hysteroscopically-placed tubal implants intended for sterilization: guidance for industry and Food and Drug Administration staff. October 31, 2016

• Visit the companion article

Resources

• Essure permanent birth control (Bayer) instructions for use

• Essure patient information booklet

• US Food and Drug Administration. Labeling for permanent hysteroscopically-placed tubal implants intended for sterilization: guidance for industry and Food and Drug Administration staff. October 31, 2016

• Visit the companion article

In November 2016, Bayer, the manufacturer of the permanent birth control tubal implant system (Essure), revised the Essure product labeling in accordance with a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidance document.¹ The FDA developed its labeling guidance based on its examination of an increasing number of reported adverse events associated with the system’s use (such as persistent pain, perforation of the uterus and/or fallopian tubes, intra-abdominal or pelvic device migration, abnormal or irregular bleeding, and allergy or hypersensitivity reactions) and its evaluation of a trade complaint regarding allegations initially made in a Citizen Petition.

Changes to the new FDA-approved labeling for Essure include:

• the addition of a boxed warning listing adverse events that have been reported either in clinical studies or through postmarket surveillance (see Box)
• updated Instructions for Use document for clinicians and Patient Information Booklet, which contain additional information on safety (contraindications, warnings, and precautions), clinical data, and instructions^2,3
• a Patient-Doctor Discussion Checklist (included within the Patient Information Booklet), designed to support appropriate patient counseling, facilitate the patient’s understanding of birth control options, and explain the benefits and risks associated with the device and what to expect during and after the implantation procedure.³

How will these labeling changes impact clinicians and patients? OBG Managementasked Linda Bradley, MD, Professor of Surgery and Vice Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Women’s Health Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, to share her expertise with readers.

OBG Management: What does the new product labeling mean for clinicians who offer tubal implants as an option for permanent sterilization?

Linda D. Bradley, MD: The FDA-approved revised labeling for the Essure system means that physicians should have a very detailed, in-depth conversation with their patients who are contemplating hysteroscopic tubal insert placement for permanent sterilization. This counseling really should not differ from what doctors were doing before the label was revised. However, physicians can now use the new Patient-Doctor Discussion Checklist as a guide in reviewing the benefits of the device, its known risks and potential risks, outcomes of the insertion procedure, and the possible need for future surgical intervention if device placement–related issues arise.

For clinicians, this counseling adds just a few more minutes to the visit. The Patient-Doctor Discussion Checklist will become an inherent part of the informed consent process, aiding in the review of the device’s benefits, potential risks, and more importantly its permanence.

In the past, there was some concern that perhaps patients did not receive enough guidance for informed consent, so one of the first things listed on the checklist is confirmation—in the form of a printed line where the patient can sign her initials—that she understands that Essure is a permanent form of birth control. The checklist covers additional important issues, including that the doctor has indeed shared with the patient other options for birth control or sterilization, such as laparoscopic sterilization, vasectomy for her male partner, an intrauterine device (IUD), and birth control pills. This is an opportunity to reinforce the fact that tubal implants are a permanent form of birth control, and if the patient is uncertain about ending her fertility, the clinician can inform her about reversible options. The checklist also includes for discussion the pregnancy risk with use of the device, what the patient can expect during the implant insertion procedure and for the days afterwards (such as cramping, mild to moderate pain, nausea and vomiting), and the need for a confirmation test 3 months after device placement.

Other discussion points covered include long-term risks and benefits of the device, the potential for complications, and the possibility (due to pelvic pain) that the hysteroscopically placed devices may need to be removed with a surgical procedure requiring general anesthesia.

Incorporating the checklist into our clinical practice shows that we have listened to patients and complied with recommendations made by the FDA review panel, and we can use this document to have a more complete discussion with our patients.

OBG Management: Do you agree with some clinicians who say that physicians who place the device also should have the skills required to remove it if necessary?

Dr. Bradley: Essure placement—which is a hysteroscopic procedure—is done very differently than a laparoscopic procedure. In the past, among women who needed to have the Essure system removed, most procedures would be done laparoscopically. Since we work collaboratively in teams, someone within the team or division would have the clinical expertise to remove the devices. An ObGyn who does laparoscopy with salpingectomy and/or cornual resection would best be able to remove the devices.

The clinician who does hysteroscopy is not always the same one who does laparoscopy. Someone within the division who is interested in removing the device will develop an expertise and algorithm that suits the practice, so that person in the practice becomes the expert. This is no different from many other things that physicians do. In our clinical practice, for example, we have a pelvic pain specialist, a sexual counselor, someone interested in menopause and management, and someone interested in alternatives to hysterectomies. Those who practice their craft and their art become proficient at it. So if you do not perform a particular procedure such as a tubal implant removal, know the expert to whom you can make a referral.

OBG Management: How do you now advise your colleagues to counsel patients on permanent sterilization?

Dr. Bradley: Hysteroscopic tubal implant sterilization, a minimally invasive procedure, is an excellent and viable option for women who meet the inclusion criteria and who do not have the exclusion criteria for placement. It is overall safe and extremely effective. If a patient has issues after undergoing implant placement—just like with any other surgery or procedure—for example, if she is not feeling better or is not doing as well as anticipated, we must not forget the patient. It is important for our patients to be listened to and to be heard. Postprocedure issues are generally transient and related to pain and discomfort or abnormal bleeding. If they are persistent, then further evaluation is needed.

Tell the patient to contact you if she has questions or issues, and have a tiered approach for working up any problems that she may present with. In addition, reiterate that the patient must use another form of birth control for 3 months until she undergoes the confirmation test and until the results verify that the implants can be relied on for contraception. I am still placing the device. Before I perform the procedure, I speak with my patients—as I did before the checklist was developed—about all of the informed consent issues, the risk−benefit profile, and ruling out contraindications to use. I think this is good medical and surgical practice. The new labeling means we need to have a critical conversation with our patients, and we should be doing that for all procedures.

Share your thoughts! Send your Letter to the Editor to rbarbieri@frontlinemedcom.com. Please include your name and the city and state in which you practice.

In November 2016, Bayer, the manufacturer of the permanent birth control tubal implant system (Essure), revised the Essure product labeling in accordance with a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidance document.¹ The FDA developed its labeling guidance based on its examination of an increasing number of reported adverse events associated with the system’s use (such as persistent pain, perforation of the uterus and/or fallopian tubes, intra-abdominal or pelvic device migration, abnormal or irregular bleeding, and allergy or hypersensitivity reactions) and its evaluation of a trade complaint regarding allegations initially made in a Citizen Petition.

Changes to the new FDA-approved labeling for Essure include:

• the addition of a boxed warning listing adverse events that have been reported either in clinical studies or through postmarket surveillance (see Box)
• updated Instructions for Use document for clinicians and Patient Information Booklet, which contain additional information on safety (contraindications, warnings, and precautions), clinical data, and instructions^2,3
• a Patient-Doctor Discussion Checklist (included within the Patient Information Booklet), designed to support appropriate patient counseling, facilitate the patient’s understanding of birth control options, and explain the benefits and risks associated with the device and what to expect during and after the implantation procedure.³

How will these labeling changes impact clinicians and patients? OBG Managementasked Linda Bradley, MD, Professor of Surgery and Vice Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Women’s Health Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, to share her expertise with readers.

OBG Management: What does the new product labeling mean for clinicians who offer tubal implants as an option for permanent sterilization?

Linda D. Bradley, MD: The FDA-approved revised labeling for the Essure system means that physicians should have a very detailed, in-depth conversation with their patients who are contemplating hysteroscopic tubal insert placement for permanent sterilization. This counseling really should not differ from what doctors were doing before the label was revised. However, physicians can now use the new Patient-Doctor Discussion Checklist as a guide in reviewing the benefits of the device, its known risks and potential risks, outcomes of the insertion procedure, and the possible need for future surgical intervention if device placement–related issues arise.

For clinicians, this counseling adds just a few more minutes to the visit. The Patient-Doctor Discussion Checklist will become an inherent part of the informed consent process, aiding in the review of the device’s benefits, potential risks, and more importantly its permanence.

In the past, there was some concern that perhaps patients did not receive enough guidance for informed consent, so one of the first things listed on the checklist is confirmation—in the form of a printed line where the patient can sign her initials—that she understands that Essure is a permanent form of birth control. The checklist covers additional important issues, including that the doctor has indeed shared with the patient other options for birth control or sterilization, such as laparoscopic sterilization, vasectomy for her male partner, an intrauterine device (IUD), and birth control pills. This is an opportunity to reinforce the fact that tubal implants are a permanent form of birth control, and if the patient is uncertain about ending her fertility, the clinician can inform her about reversible options. The checklist also includes for discussion the pregnancy risk with use of the device, what the patient can expect during the implant insertion procedure and for the days afterwards (such as cramping, mild to moderate pain, nausea and vomiting), and the need for a confirmation test 3 months after device placement.

Other discussion points covered include long-term risks and benefits of the device, the potential for complications, and the possibility (due to pelvic pain) that the hysteroscopically placed devices may need to be removed with a surgical procedure requiring general anesthesia.

Incorporating the checklist into our clinical practice shows that we have listened to patients and complied with recommendations made by the FDA review panel, and we can use this document to have a more complete discussion with our patients.

OBG Management: Do you agree with some clinicians who say that physicians who place the device also should have the skills required to remove it if necessary?

Dr. Bradley: Essure placement—which is a hysteroscopic procedure—is done very differently than a laparoscopic procedure. In the past, among women who needed to have the Essure system removed, most procedures would be done laparoscopically. Since we work collaboratively in teams, someone within the team or division would have the clinical expertise to remove the devices. An ObGyn who does laparoscopy with salpingectomy and/or cornual resection would best be able to remove the devices.

The clinician who does hysteroscopy is not always the same one who does laparoscopy. Someone within the division who is interested in removing the device will develop an expertise and algorithm that suits the practice, so that person in the practice becomes the expert. This is no different from many other things that physicians do. In our clinical practice, for example, we have a pelvic pain specialist, a sexual counselor, someone interested in menopause and management, and someone interested in alternatives to hysterectomies. Those who practice their craft and their art become proficient at it. So if you do not perform a particular procedure such as a tubal implant removal, know the expert to whom you can make a referral.

OBG Management: How do you now advise your colleagues to counsel patients on permanent sterilization?

Dr. Bradley: Hysteroscopic tubal implant sterilization, a minimally invasive procedure, is an excellent and viable option for women who meet the inclusion criteria and who do not have the exclusion criteria for placement. It is overall safe and extremely effective. If a patient has issues after undergoing implant placement—just like with any other surgery or procedure—for example, if she is not feeling better or is not doing as well as anticipated, we must not forget the patient. It is important for our patients to be listened to and to be heard. Postprocedure issues are generally transient and related to pain and discomfort or abnormal bleeding. If they are persistent, then further evaluation is needed.

Tell the patient to contact you if she has questions or issues, and have a tiered approach for working up any problems that she may present with. In addition, reiterate that the patient must use another form of birth control for 3 months until she undergoes the confirmation test and until the results verify that the implants can be relied on for contraception. I am still placing the device. Before I perform the procedure, I speak with my patients—as I did before the checklist was developed—about all of the informed consent issues, the risk−benefit profile, and ruling out contraindications to use. I think this is good medical and surgical practice. The new labeling means we need to have a critical conversation with our patients, and we should be doing that for all procedures.

Share your thoughts! Send your Letter to the Editor to rbarbieri@frontlinemedcom.com. Please include your name and the city and state in which you practice.

In November 2016, Bayer, the manufacturer of the permanent birth control tubal implant system (Essure), revised the Essure product labeling in accordance with a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidance document.¹ The FDA developed its labeling guidance based on its examination of an increasing number of reported adverse events associated with the system’s use (such as persistent pain, perforation of the uterus and/or fallopian tubes, intra-abdominal or pelvic device migration, abnormal or irregular bleeding, and allergy or hypersensitivity reactions) and its evaluation of a trade complaint regarding allegations initially made in a Citizen Petition.

Changes to the new FDA-approved labeling for Essure include:

• the addition of a boxed warning listing adverse events that have been reported either in clinical studies or through postmarket surveillance (see Box)
• updated Instructions for Use document for clinicians and Patient Information Booklet, which contain additional information on safety (contraindications, warnings, and precautions), clinical data, and instructions^2,3
• a Patient-Doctor Discussion Checklist (included within the Patient Information Booklet), designed to support appropriate patient counseling, facilitate the patient’s understanding of birth control options, and explain the benefits and risks associated with the device and what to expect during and after the implantation procedure.³

How will these labeling changes impact clinicians and patients? OBG Managementasked Linda Bradley, MD, Professor of Surgery and Vice Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Women’s Health Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, to share her expertise with readers.

OBG Management: What does the new product labeling mean for clinicians who offer tubal implants as an option for permanent sterilization?

Linda D. Bradley, MD: The FDA-approved revised labeling for the Essure system means that physicians should have a very detailed, in-depth conversation with their patients who are contemplating hysteroscopic tubal insert placement for permanent sterilization. This counseling really should not differ from what doctors were doing before the label was revised. However, physicians can now use the new Patient-Doctor Discussion Checklist as a guide in reviewing the benefits of the device, its known risks and potential risks, outcomes of the insertion procedure, and the possible need for future surgical intervention if device placement–related issues arise.

For clinicians, this counseling adds just a few more minutes to the visit. The Patient-Doctor Discussion Checklist will become an inherent part of the informed consent process, aiding in the review of the device’s benefits, potential risks, and more importantly its permanence.

In the past, there was some concern that perhaps patients did not receive enough guidance for informed consent, so one of the first things listed on the checklist is confirmation—in the form of a printed line where the patient can sign her initials—that she understands that Essure is a permanent form of birth control. The checklist covers additional important issues, including that the doctor has indeed shared with the patient other options for birth control or sterilization, such as laparoscopic sterilization, vasectomy for her male partner, an intrauterine device (IUD), and birth control pills. This is an opportunity to reinforce the fact that tubal implants are a permanent form of birth control, and if the patient is uncertain about ending her fertility, the clinician can inform her about reversible options. The checklist also includes for discussion the pregnancy risk with use of the device, what the patient can expect during the implant insertion procedure and for the days afterwards (such as cramping, mild to moderate pain, nausea and vomiting), and the need for a confirmation test 3 months after device placement.

Other discussion points covered include long-term risks and benefits of the device, the potential for complications, and the possibility (due to pelvic pain) that the hysteroscopically placed devices may need to be removed with a surgical procedure requiring general anesthesia.

Incorporating the checklist into our clinical practice shows that we have listened to patients and complied with recommendations made by the FDA review panel, and we can use this document to have a more complete discussion with our patients.

OBG Management: Do you agree with some clinicians who say that physicians who place the device also should have the skills required to remove it if necessary?

Dr. Bradley: Essure placement—which is a hysteroscopic procedure—is done very differently than a laparoscopic procedure. In the past, among women who needed to have the Essure system removed, most procedures would be done laparoscopically. Since we work collaboratively in teams, someone within the team or division would have the clinical expertise to remove the devices. An ObGyn who does laparoscopy with salpingectomy and/or cornual resection would best be able to remove the devices.

The clinician who does hysteroscopy is not always the same one who does laparoscopy. Someone within the division who is interested in removing the device will develop an expertise and algorithm that suits the practice, so that person in the practice becomes the expert. This is no different from many other things that physicians do. In our clinical practice, for example, we have a pelvic pain specialist, a sexual counselor, someone interested in menopause and management, and someone interested in alternatives to hysterectomies. Those who practice their craft and their art become proficient at it. So if you do not perform a particular procedure such as a tubal implant removal, know the expert to whom you can make a referral.

OBG Management: How do you now advise your colleagues to counsel patients on permanent sterilization?

Dr. Bradley: Hysteroscopic tubal implant sterilization, a minimally invasive procedure, is an excellent and viable option for women who meet the inclusion criteria and who do not have the exclusion criteria for placement. It is overall safe and extremely effective. If a patient has issues after undergoing implant placement—just like with any other surgery or procedure—for example, if she is not feeling better or is not doing as well as anticipated, we must not forget the patient. It is important for our patients to be listened to and to be heard. Postprocedure issues are generally transient and related to pain and discomfort or abnormal bleeding. If they are persistent, then further evaluation is needed.

Tell the patient to contact you if she has questions or issues, and have a tiered approach for working up any problems that she may present with. In addition, reiterate that the patient must use another form of birth control for 3 months until she undergoes the confirmation test and until the results verify that the implants can be relied on for contraception. I am still placing the device. Before I perform the procedure, I speak with my patients—as I did before the checklist was developed—about all of the informed consent issues, the risk−benefit profile, and ruling out contraindications to use. I think this is good medical and surgical practice. The new labeling means we need to have a critical conversation with our patients, and we should be doing that for all procedures.

Share your thoughts! Send your Letter to the Editor to rbarbieri@frontlinemedcom.com. Please include your name and the city and state in which you practice.

Uterine fibroids are a common complaint in gynecology, with an incidence of approximately 30% in women aged 25 to 45 years and a cumulative incidence of 70% to 80% by age 50.^1,2 They are more prevalent in women of African descent and are a leading indication for ­hysterectomy.

Although they can be asymptomatic, submucosal fibroids are frequently associated with:

In postmenopausal women, the risk of malignancy in a leiomyoma ranges from 0.2% to 0.5%.¹ The risk is lower in premenopausal women.

In this article, I describe the technique for hysteroscopic myomectomy using a mechanical approach (Truclear Tissue Removal System, Smith & Nephew, Andover, MA), which offers hysteroscopic morcellation as well as quick resection and efficient fluid ­management. (Note: Unlike open intraperitoneal morcellation, hysteroscopic morcellation carries a low risk of tissue spread.)
 

Classification of fibroids
Preoperative classification of leiomyomas makes it possible to determine the best route for surgery. The most commonly used classification system was developed by the European Society of Gynaecological Endoscopy (ESGE) (FIGURE 1), which considers the extent of intramural extension. Each fibroid under that system is classified as:

A second classification system recently was devised to take into account additional features of the fibroid. The STEP-W ­classification considers size, topography, extension, penetration, and the lateral wall (FIGURE 2). In general, the lower the score, the less complex the procedure will be, with a lower risk of fluid intravasation, shorter ­operative time, and a greater likelihood of complete removal of the fibroid.

A multicenter, prospective study of 449 women who underwent hysteroscopic resection of their fibroids correlated the ESGE and STEP-W systems. All 320 fibroids (100%) with a score of 4 or below on the STEP-W classification system were completely removed, compared with 112 of 145 fibroids (77.2%) with a score greater than 4. All 33 cases of incomplete hysteroscopic resection (100%) had a STEP-W score above 4.³

In the same study, 85 of 86 cases (98.9%) with Type 0 fibroids under the ESGE system had complete resection, along with 278 of 298 Type I fibroids (93.3%), and 69 of 81 Type II fibroids (85.2%).³ Complete removal is a goal because it relieves symptoms and averts the need for additional procedures.
 

Patient selection
Proper patient selection for hysteroscopic myomectomy is extremely important. The most common indications are AUB, pelvic pain or discomfort, recurrent pregnancy loss, and infertility. In addition, the patient should have a strong wish for uterine preservation and desire a minimally invasive transcervical approach.

AAGL guidelines on the diagnosis and management of submucous fibroids note that, in general, submucous leiomyomas as large as 4 or 5 cm in diameter can be removed hysteroscopically by experienced surgeons.⁴

A hysteroscopic approach is not advised for women in whom hysteroscopic surgery is contraindicated, such as women with intrauterine pregnancy, active pelvic infection, active herpes infection, or cervical or uterine cancer. Women who have medical comorbidities such as coronary heart disease, significant renal disease, or bleeding diathesis may need perioperative clearance from anesthesia or hematology prior to hysteroscopic surgery and close fluid monitoring during the procedure.

Consider the leiomyoma
Penetration into the myometrium. Women who have a fibroid that penetrates more than 50% into the myometrium may benefit from hysteroscopic myomectomy, provided the surgeon is highly experienced. A skilled hysteroscopist can ensure complete enucleation of a penetrating fibroid in these cases.

If you are still in the learning process for hysteroscopy, however, start with easier cases—ie, polyps and Type 0 and Type I fibroids. Type II fibroids require longer operative time, are associated with increased fluid absorption and intravasation, carry an increased risk of perioperative complications, and may not always be completely resected.

Size of the fibroid also is relevant. As size increases, so does the volume of tissue needing to be removed, adding to overall operative time.

Presence of other fibroids. When a woman has an intracavitary fibroid as well as myomas in other locations, the surgeon should consider whether hysteroscopic removal of the intracavitary lesion alone can provide significant relief of all fibroid-related symptoms. In such cases, laparoscopic, robotic, or abdominal myomectomy may be preferable, especially if the volume of the additional myomas is considerable.

To determine the optimal surgical route, the physician must consider the symptoms present—is AUB the only symptom, or are other fibroid-related conditions present as well, such as bulk, pelvic pain, and other quality-of-life issues? If multiple symptoms exist, then other approaches may be better.

How fibroids affect fertility
Fibroids are present in 5% to 10% of women with infertility. In this population, fibroids are the only abnormal finding in 1.0% to 2.4% of cases.⁴

In a meta-analysis of 23 studies evaluating women with fibroids and infertility, Pritts and colleagues found nine studies involving submucosal fibroids.⁵ These studies included one randomized controlled trial, two prospective studies, and six retrospective analyses. They found that women who had fibroids with a submucosal component had lower pregnancy and implantation rates, compared with their infertile, myoma-free counterparts. Pritts and colleagues concluded that myomectomy is likely to improve fertility in these cases (TABLE).⁵

Instrumentation
Among the options are monopolar and bipolar resectoscopy and the mechanical approach using the Truclear System, which includes a morcellator. With conventional resectoscopy all chips must be removed, necessitating multiple insertions of the hysteroscope. Monopolar instrumentation, in particular, carries a risk of energy discharge to healthy tissue. The monopolar resectoscope also has a longer learning curve, ­compared with the mechanical approach.⁶

In contrast, the Truclear System requires fewer insertions, has a short learning curve, and omits the need for capture of individual chips, as the mechanical morcellator suctions and captures them throughout the procedure.⁷ In addition, because resection is performed mechanically, there is no risk of energy discharge to healthy tissue.

The Truclear system also is associated with a significantly shorter operative time, compared with resectoscopy, which may be advantageous for residents, fellows, and other physicians learning the procedure (­FIGURE 3).⁷ Shorter operative time also may result in lower fluid deficits. In addition, saline distension may reduce the risk of fluid absorption and hyponatremia. The tissue-capture feature allows evaluation of the entire pathologic specimen.

Besides hysteroscopic myomectomy, the Truclear System is appropriate for visual dilatation and curettage (D&C), adhesiolysis, polypectomy, and evacuation of retained products of conception.
 

Preoperative evaluation
A complete history is vital to document which fibroid-related symptoms are present and how they affect quality of life.

Preoperative imaging also is imperative—using either 2D or 3D saline infusion sonography or a combination of diagnostic hysteroscopy and transvaginal ultrasound—to select patients for hysteroscopy, anticipate blood loss, and ensure that the proper instrumentation is available at the time of surgery. Magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, and hysterosalpingo­graphy are either prohibitively expensive or of limited value in the initial preoperative assessment of uterine fibroids.

Any woman who has AUB and a risk for endometrial hyperplasia or cancer should undergo endometrial assessment as well.

Use of preoperative medications
In most cases, prophylactic administration of antibiotics is not warranted to prevent infection or endocarditis.

Although some clinicians give gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists to reduce the size of large fibroids, the drug complicates dissection of the fibroid from the surrounding capsule. For this reason, and because we lack data demonstrating that GnRH agonists decrease blood loss and limit absorption of distension media, I do not administer them to patients.^8–12 Moreover, this drug can cause vasomotor symptoms, cervical stenosis, and vaginal hemorrhage (related to estrogen flare).

GnRH agonists may be of value to stimulate transient amenorrhea for several months preoperatively in order to correct iron-deficiency anemia. Intravenous iron also can be administered during this interval.

The risk of bleeding in hysteroscopic myomectomy is 2% to 3%.¹ When the ­mechanical approach is used, rather than resectoscopy, continuous flow coupled with suctioning of the chips during the procedure keeps the image clear. Post-procedure contraction of the uterus stops most bleeding. Intrauterine pressure of the pump can be increased to help tamponade any oozing.

Misoprostol. Cervical stenosis is not ­uncommon in menopausal women. It can also pose a challenge in nulliparous women. Attempting hysteroscopy in the setting of ­cervical stenosis increases the risk of ­cervical laceration, creation of a false passage, and uterine perforation. For this reason, I prescribe oral or vaginal misoprostol 200 to 400 µg nightly for 1 to 2 days before the ­procedure.

Vasopressin can reduce blood loss during hysteroscopic myomectomy when it is injected into the cervical stroma preoperatively. It also reduces absorption of ­distension fluid and facilitates cervical ­dilation.

However, vasopressin must be injected with extreme care, with aspiration to confirm the absence of blood prior to each injection, as intravascular injection can lead to bradycardia, profound hypertension, and even death.¹³ Always notify the anesthesiologist prior to injection when vasopressin will be administered.

I routinely use vasopressin before hysteroscopic myomectomy (0.5 mg in 20 cc of saline or 20 U in 100 cc), injecting 5 cc of the solution at 3, 6, 9, and 12 o’clock positions.

Anesthesia during hysteroscopic myomectomy typically is “monitored anesthesia care,” or MAC, which consists of local anesthesia with sedation and analgesia. The need for regional or general anesthesia is rare. Consider adding a pericervical block or intravenous ketorolac (Toradol) to provide postoperative analgesia.

Surgical technique
Strict attention to fluid management is required throughout the procedure, preferably in accordance with AAGL guidelines on the management of hysteroscopic distending media.¹⁴ With the mechanical approach, because the distension fluid is isotonic (normal saline), it does not increase the risk of hyponatremia but can cause pulmonary edema or congestive heart failure. Intravasation usually is the result of excessive operative time, treatment of deeper myometrial fibroids (Type I or II), or high intrauterine pressure. I operate using intrauterine pressure in the range of 75 to 125 mm Hg.

The steps involved in the mechanical hysteroscopy ­approach are:

Postoperative care
A nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug or limited use of narcotics usually is sufficient to relieve any postoperative cramping or vaginal discomfort.

Advise the patient to notify you in the event of increasing pain, foul-smelling vaginal discharge, or fever.

Also counsel her that she can return to most normal activities within 24 to 48 hours. Sexual activity is permissible 1 week after surgery. Early and frequent ambulation is important.

Schedule a follow-up visit 4 to 6 weeks after the procedure.

Share your thoughts on this article! Send your Letter to the Editor to rbarbieri@frontlinemedcom.com. Please include your name and the city and state in which you practice.

Uterine fibroids are a common complaint in gynecology, with an incidence of approximately 30% in women aged 25 to 45 years and a cumulative incidence of 70% to 80% by age 50.^1,2 They are more prevalent in women of African descent and are a leading indication for ­hysterectomy.

Although they can be asymptomatic, submucosal fibroids are frequently associated with:

In postmenopausal women, the risk of malignancy in a leiomyoma ranges from 0.2% to 0.5%.¹ The risk is lower in premenopausal women.

In this article, I describe the technique for hysteroscopic myomectomy using a mechanical approach (Truclear Tissue Removal System, Smith & Nephew, Andover, MA), which offers hysteroscopic morcellation as well as quick resection and efficient fluid ­management. (Note: Unlike open intraperitoneal morcellation, hysteroscopic morcellation carries a low risk of tissue spread.)
 

Classification of fibroids
Preoperative classification of leiomyomas makes it possible to determine the best route for surgery. The most commonly used classification system was developed by the European Society of Gynaecological Endoscopy (ESGE) (FIGURE 1), which considers the extent of intramural extension. Each fibroid under that system is classified as:

A second classification system recently was devised to take into account additional features of the fibroid. The STEP-W ­classification considers size, topography, extension, penetration, and the lateral wall (FIGURE 2). In general, the lower the score, the less complex the procedure will be, with a lower risk of fluid intravasation, shorter ­operative time, and a greater likelihood of complete removal of the fibroid.

A multicenter, prospective study of 449 women who underwent hysteroscopic resection of their fibroids correlated the ESGE and STEP-W systems. All 320 fibroids (100%) with a score of 4 or below on the STEP-W classification system were completely removed, compared with 112 of 145 fibroids (77.2%) with a score greater than 4. All 33 cases of incomplete hysteroscopic resection (100%) had a STEP-W score above 4.³

In the same study, 85 of 86 cases (98.9%) with Type 0 fibroids under the ESGE system had complete resection, along with 278 of 298 Type I fibroids (93.3%), and 69 of 81 Type II fibroids (85.2%).³ Complete removal is a goal because it relieves symptoms and averts the need for additional procedures.
 

Patient selection
Proper patient selection for hysteroscopic myomectomy is extremely important. The most common indications are AUB, pelvic pain or discomfort, recurrent pregnancy loss, and infertility. In addition, the patient should have a strong wish for uterine preservation and desire a minimally invasive transcervical approach.

AAGL guidelines on the diagnosis and management of submucous fibroids note that, in general, submucous leiomyomas as large as 4 or 5 cm in diameter can be removed hysteroscopically by experienced surgeons.⁴

A hysteroscopic approach is not advised for women in whom hysteroscopic surgery is contraindicated, such as women with intrauterine pregnancy, active pelvic infection, active herpes infection, or cervical or uterine cancer. Women who have medical comorbidities such as coronary heart disease, significant renal disease, or bleeding diathesis may need perioperative clearance from anesthesia or hematology prior to hysteroscopic surgery and close fluid monitoring during the procedure.

Consider the leiomyoma
Penetration into the myometrium. Women who have a fibroid that penetrates more than 50% into the myometrium may benefit from hysteroscopic myomectomy, provided the surgeon is highly experienced. A skilled hysteroscopist can ensure complete enucleation of a penetrating fibroid in these cases.

If you are still in the learning process for hysteroscopy, however, start with easier cases—ie, polyps and Type 0 and Type I fibroids. Type II fibroids require longer operative time, are associated with increased fluid absorption and intravasation, carry an increased risk of perioperative complications, and may not always be completely resected.

Size of the fibroid also is relevant. As size increases, so does the volume of tissue needing to be removed, adding to overall operative time.

Presence of other fibroids. When a woman has an intracavitary fibroid as well as myomas in other locations, the surgeon should consider whether hysteroscopic removal of the intracavitary lesion alone can provide significant relief of all fibroid-related symptoms. In such cases, laparoscopic, robotic, or abdominal myomectomy may be preferable, especially if the volume of the additional myomas is considerable.

To determine the optimal surgical route, the physician must consider the symptoms present—is AUB the only symptom, or are other fibroid-related conditions present as well, such as bulk, pelvic pain, and other quality-of-life issues? If multiple symptoms exist, then other approaches may be better.

How fibroids affect fertility
Fibroids are present in 5% to 10% of women with infertility. In this population, fibroids are the only abnormal finding in 1.0% to 2.4% of cases.⁴

In a meta-analysis of 23 studies evaluating women with fibroids and infertility, Pritts and colleagues found nine studies involving submucosal fibroids.⁵ These studies included one randomized controlled trial, two prospective studies, and six retrospective analyses. They found that women who had fibroids with a submucosal component had lower pregnancy and implantation rates, compared with their infertile, myoma-free counterparts. Pritts and colleagues concluded that myomectomy is likely to improve fertility in these cases (TABLE).⁵

Instrumentation
Among the options are monopolar and bipolar resectoscopy and the mechanical approach using the Truclear System, which includes a morcellator. With conventional resectoscopy all chips must be removed, necessitating multiple insertions of the hysteroscope. Monopolar instrumentation, in particular, carries a risk of energy discharge to healthy tissue. The monopolar resectoscope also has a longer learning curve, ­compared with the mechanical approach.⁶

In contrast, the Truclear System requires fewer insertions, has a short learning curve, and omits the need for capture of individual chips, as the mechanical morcellator suctions and captures them throughout the procedure.⁷ In addition, because resection is performed mechanically, there is no risk of energy discharge to healthy tissue.

The Truclear system also is associated with a significantly shorter operative time, compared with resectoscopy, which may be advantageous for residents, fellows, and other physicians learning the procedure (­FIGURE 3).⁷ Shorter operative time also may result in lower fluid deficits. In addition, saline distension may reduce the risk of fluid absorption and hyponatremia. The tissue-capture feature allows evaluation of the entire pathologic specimen.

Besides hysteroscopic myomectomy, the Truclear System is appropriate for visual dilatation and curettage (D&C), adhesiolysis, polypectomy, and evacuation of retained products of conception.
 

Preoperative evaluation
A complete history is vital to document which fibroid-related symptoms are present and how they affect quality of life.

Preoperative imaging also is imperative—using either 2D or 3D saline infusion sonography or a combination of diagnostic hysteroscopy and transvaginal ultrasound—to select patients for hysteroscopy, anticipate blood loss, and ensure that the proper instrumentation is available at the time of surgery. Magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, and hysterosalpingo­graphy are either prohibitively expensive or of limited value in the initial preoperative assessment of uterine fibroids.

Any woman who has AUB and a risk for endometrial hyperplasia or cancer should undergo endometrial assessment as well.

Use of preoperative medications
In most cases, prophylactic administration of antibiotics is not warranted to prevent infection or endocarditis.

Although some clinicians give gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists to reduce the size of large fibroids, the drug complicates dissection of the fibroid from the surrounding capsule. For this reason, and because we lack data demonstrating that GnRH agonists decrease blood loss and limit absorption of distension media, I do not administer them to patients.^8–12 Moreover, this drug can cause vasomotor symptoms, cervical stenosis, and vaginal hemorrhage (related to estrogen flare).

GnRH agonists may be of value to stimulate transient amenorrhea for several months preoperatively in order to correct iron-deficiency anemia. Intravenous iron also can be administered during this interval.

The risk of bleeding in hysteroscopic myomectomy is 2% to 3%.¹ When the ­mechanical approach is used, rather than resectoscopy, continuous flow coupled with suctioning of the chips during the procedure keeps the image clear. Post-procedure contraction of the uterus stops most bleeding. Intrauterine pressure of the pump can be increased to help tamponade any oozing.

Misoprostol. Cervical stenosis is not ­uncommon in menopausal women. It can also pose a challenge in nulliparous women. Attempting hysteroscopy in the setting of ­cervical stenosis increases the risk of ­cervical laceration, creation of a false passage, and uterine perforation. For this reason, I prescribe oral or vaginal misoprostol 200 to 400 µg nightly for 1 to 2 days before the ­procedure.

Vasopressin can reduce blood loss during hysteroscopic myomectomy when it is injected into the cervical stroma preoperatively. It also reduces absorption of ­distension fluid and facilitates cervical ­dilation.

However, vasopressin must be injected with extreme care, with aspiration to confirm the absence of blood prior to each injection, as intravascular injection can lead to bradycardia, profound hypertension, and even death.¹³ Always notify the anesthesiologist prior to injection when vasopressin will be administered.

I routinely use vasopressin before hysteroscopic myomectomy (0.5 mg in 20 cc of saline or 20 U in 100 cc), injecting 5 cc of the solution at 3, 6, 9, and 12 o’clock positions.

Anesthesia during hysteroscopic myomectomy typically is “monitored anesthesia care,” or MAC, which consists of local anesthesia with sedation and analgesia. The need for regional or general anesthesia is rare. Consider adding a pericervical block or intravenous ketorolac (Toradol) to provide postoperative analgesia.

Surgical technique
Strict attention to fluid management is required throughout the procedure, preferably in accordance with AAGL guidelines on the management of hysteroscopic distending media.¹⁴ With the mechanical approach, because the distension fluid is isotonic (normal saline), it does not increase the risk of hyponatremia but can cause pulmonary edema or congestive heart failure. Intravasation usually is the result of excessive operative time, treatment of deeper myometrial fibroids (Type I or II), or high intrauterine pressure. I operate using intrauterine pressure in the range of 75 to 125 mm Hg.

The steps involved in the mechanical hysteroscopy ­approach are:

Postoperative care
A nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug or limited use of narcotics usually is sufficient to relieve any postoperative cramping or vaginal discomfort.

Advise the patient to notify you in the event of increasing pain, foul-smelling vaginal discharge, or fever.

Also counsel her that she can return to most normal activities within 24 to 48 hours. Sexual activity is permissible 1 week after surgery. Early and frequent ambulation is important.

Schedule a follow-up visit 4 to 6 weeks after the procedure.

Share your thoughts on this article! Send your Letter to the Editor to rbarbieri@frontlinemedcom.com. Please include your name and the city and state in which you practice.

Uterine fibroids are a common complaint in gynecology, with an incidence of approximately 30% in women aged 25 to 45 years and a cumulative incidence of 70% to 80% by age 50.^1,2 They are more prevalent in women of African descent and are a leading indication for ­hysterectomy.

Although they can be asymptomatic, submucosal fibroids are frequently associated with:

In postmenopausal women, the risk of malignancy in a leiomyoma ranges from 0.2% to 0.5%.¹ The risk is lower in premenopausal women.

In this article, I describe the technique for hysteroscopic myomectomy using a mechanical approach (Truclear Tissue Removal System, Smith & Nephew, Andover, MA), which offers hysteroscopic morcellation as well as quick resection and efficient fluid ­management. (Note: Unlike open intraperitoneal morcellation, hysteroscopic morcellation carries a low risk of tissue spread.)
 

Classification of fibroids
Preoperative classification of leiomyomas makes it possible to determine the best route for surgery. The most commonly used classification system was developed by the European Society of Gynaecological Endoscopy (ESGE) (FIGURE 1), which considers the extent of intramural extension. Each fibroid under that system is classified as:

A second classification system recently was devised to take into account additional features of the fibroid. The STEP-W ­classification considers size, topography, extension, penetration, and the lateral wall (FIGURE 2). In general, the lower the score, the less complex the procedure will be, with a lower risk of fluid intravasation, shorter ­operative time, and a greater likelihood of complete removal of the fibroid.

A multicenter, prospective study of 449 women who underwent hysteroscopic resection of their fibroids correlated the ESGE and STEP-W systems. All 320 fibroids (100%) with a score of 4 or below on the STEP-W classification system were completely removed, compared with 112 of 145 fibroids (77.2%) with a score greater than 4. All 33 cases of incomplete hysteroscopic resection (100%) had a STEP-W score above 4.³

In the same study, 85 of 86 cases (98.9%) with Type 0 fibroids under the ESGE system had complete resection, along with 278 of 298 Type I fibroids (93.3%), and 69 of 81 Type II fibroids (85.2%).³ Complete removal is a goal because it relieves symptoms and averts the need for additional procedures.
 

Patient selection
Proper patient selection for hysteroscopic myomectomy is extremely important. The most common indications are AUB, pelvic pain or discomfort, recurrent pregnancy loss, and infertility. In addition, the patient should have a strong wish for uterine preservation and desire a minimally invasive transcervical approach.

AAGL guidelines on the diagnosis and management of submucous fibroids note that, in general, submucous leiomyomas as large as 4 or 5 cm in diameter can be removed hysteroscopically by experienced surgeons.⁴

A hysteroscopic approach is not advised for women in whom hysteroscopic surgery is contraindicated, such as women with intrauterine pregnancy, active pelvic infection, active herpes infection, or cervical or uterine cancer. Women who have medical comorbidities such as coronary heart disease, significant renal disease, or bleeding diathesis may need perioperative clearance from anesthesia or hematology prior to hysteroscopic surgery and close fluid monitoring during the procedure.

Consider the leiomyoma
Penetration into the myometrium. Women who have a fibroid that penetrates more than 50% into the myometrium may benefit from hysteroscopic myomectomy, provided the surgeon is highly experienced. A skilled hysteroscopist can ensure complete enucleation of a penetrating fibroid in these cases.

If you are still in the learning process for hysteroscopy, however, start with easier cases—ie, polyps and Type 0 and Type I fibroids. Type II fibroids require longer operative time, are associated with increased fluid absorption and intravasation, carry an increased risk of perioperative complications, and may not always be completely resected.

Size of the fibroid also is relevant. As size increases, so does the volume of tissue needing to be removed, adding to overall operative time.

Presence of other fibroids. When a woman has an intracavitary fibroid as well as myomas in other locations, the surgeon should consider whether hysteroscopic removal of the intracavitary lesion alone can provide significant relief of all fibroid-related symptoms. In such cases, laparoscopic, robotic, or abdominal myomectomy may be preferable, especially if the volume of the additional myomas is considerable.

To determine the optimal surgical route, the physician must consider the symptoms present—is AUB the only symptom, or are other fibroid-related conditions present as well, such as bulk, pelvic pain, and other quality-of-life issues? If multiple symptoms exist, then other approaches may be better.

How fibroids affect fertility
Fibroids are present in 5% to 10% of women with infertility. In this population, fibroids are the only abnormal finding in 1.0% to 2.4% of cases.⁴

In a meta-analysis of 23 studies evaluating women with fibroids and infertility, Pritts and colleagues found nine studies involving submucosal fibroids.⁵ These studies included one randomized controlled trial, two prospective studies, and six retrospective analyses. They found that women who had fibroids with a submucosal component had lower pregnancy and implantation rates, compared with their infertile, myoma-free counterparts. Pritts and colleagues concluded that myomectomy is likely to improve fertility in these cases (TABLE).⁵

Instrumentation
Among the options are monopolar and bipolar resectoscopy and the mechanical approach using the Truclear System, which includes a morcellator. With conventional resectoscopy all chips must be removed, necessitating multiple insertions of the hysteroscope. Monopolar instrumentation, in particular, carries a risk of energy discharge to healthy tissue. The monopolar resectoscope also has a longer learning curve, ­compared with the mechanical approach.⁶

In contrast, the Truclear System requires fewer insertions, has a short learning curve, and omits the need for capture of individual chips, as the mechanical morcellator suctions and captures them throughout the procedure.⁷ In addition, because resection is performed mechanically, there is no risk of energy discharge to healthy tissue.

The Truclear system also is associated with a significantly shorter operative time, compared with resectoscopy, which may be advantageous for residents, fellows, and other physicians learning the procedure (­FIGURE 3).⁷ Shorter operative time also may result in lower fluid deficits. In addition, saline distension may reduce the risk of fluid absorption and hyponatremia. The tissue-capture feature allows evaluation of the entire pathologic specimen.

Besides hysteroscopic myomectomy, the Truclear System is appropriate for visual dilatation and curettage (D&C), adhesiolysis, polypectomy, and evacuation of retained products of conception.
 

Preoperative evaluation
A complete history is vital to document which fibroid-related symptoms are present and how they affect quality of life.

Preoperative imaging also is imperative—using either 2D or 3D saline infusion sonography or a combination of diagnostic hysteroscopy and transvaginal ultrasound—to select patients for hysteroscopy, anticipate blood loss, and ensure that the proper instrumentation is available at the time of surgery. Magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, and hysterosalpingo­graphy are either prohibitively expensive or of limited value in the initial preoperative assessment of uterine fibroids.

Any woman who has AUB and a risk for endometrial hyperplasia or cancer should undergo endometrial assessment as well.

Use of preoperative medications
In most cases, prophylactic administration of antibiotics is not warranted to prevent infection or endocarditis.

Although some clinicians give gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists to reduce the size of large fibroids, the drug complicates dissection of the fibroid from the surrounding capsule. For this reason, and because we lack data demonstrating that GnRH agonists decrease blood loss and limit absorption of distension media, I do not administer them to patients.^8–12 Moreover, this drug can cause vasomotor symptoms, cervical stenosis, and vaginal hemorrhage (related to estrogen flare).

GnRH agonists may be of value to stimulate transient amenorrhea for several months preoperatively in order to correct iron-deficiency anemia. Intravenous iron also can be administered during this interval.

The risk of bleeding in hysteroscopic myomectomy is 2% to 3%.¹ When the ­mechanical approach is used, rather than resectoscopy, continuous flow coupled with suctioning of the chips during the procedure keeps the image clear. Post-procedure contraction of the uterus stops most bleeding. Intrauterine pressure of the pump can be increased to help tamponade any oozing.

Misoprostol. Cervical stenosis is not ­uncommon in menopausal women. It can also pose a challenge in nulliparous women. Attempting hysteroscopy in the setting of ­cervical stenosis increases the risk of ­cervical laceration, creation of a false passage, and uterine perforation. For this reason, I prescribe oral or vaginal misoprostol 200 to 400 µg nightly for 1 to 2 days before the ­procedure.

Vasopressin can reduce blood loss during hysteroscopic myomectomy when it is injected into the cervical stroma preoperatively. It also reduces absorption of ­distension fluid and facilitates cervical ­dilation.

However, vasopressin must be injected with extreme care, with aspiration to confirm the absence of blood prior to each injection, as intravascular injection can lead to bradycardia, profound hypertension, and even death.¹³ Always notify the anesthesiologist prior to injection when vasopressin will be administered.

I routinely use vasopressin before hysteroscopic myomectomy (0.5 mg in 20 cc of saline or 20 U in 100 cc), injecting 5 cc of the solution at 3, 6, 9, and 12 o’clock positions.

Anesthesia during hysteroscopic myomectomy typically is “monitored anesthesia care,” or MAC, which consists of local anesthesia with sedation and analgesia. The need for regional or general anesthesia is rare. Consider adding a pericervical block or intravenous ketorolac (Toradol) to provide postoperative analgesia.

Surgical technique
Strict attention to fluid management is required throughout the procedure, preferably in accordance with AAGL guidelines on the management of hysteroscopic distending media.¹⁴ With the mechanical approach, because the distension fluid is isotonic (normal saline), it does not increase the risk of hyponatremia but can cause pulmonary edema or congestive heart failure. Intravasation usually is the result of excessive operative time, treatment of deeper myometrial fibroids (Type I or II), or high intrauterine pressure. I operate using intrauterine pressure in the range of 75 to 125 mm Hg.

The steps involved in the mechanical hysteroscopy ­approach are:

Postoperative care
A nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug or limited use of narcotics usually is sufficient to relieve any postoperative cramping or vaginal discomfort.

Advise the patient to notify you in the event of increasing pain, foul-smelling vaginal discharge, or fever.

Also counsel her that she can return to most normal activities within 24 to 48 hours. Sexual activity is permissible 1 week after surgery. Early and frequent ambulation is important.

Schedule a follow-up visit 4 to 6 weeks after the procedure.

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