Fibroid Treatment Melbourne

Offering a range of treatment and removal options for irregular uterine growths that may impact health and fertility.

Uterine Fibroids, Fertility, and Pregnancy

Fibroids are a common and benign (non-cancerous) growth of the uterus (womb). They can vary in size from a pea to much larger bulky masses that completely distort the uterus.

While fibroids are relatively common in women of reproductive age, most people with fibroids are able to conceive naturally and go on to have straightforward pregnancies. If problems do arise, they may affect fertility, complicate pregnancy, or both, depending on the size, number, and location of the fibroids.

What is a Fibroid Specialist For?

Fibroids on the wall of the uterus may lead to pressure, abnormal bleeding, severe pain, and high fertility risks. For pregnant women, fibroids may cause more than minor clinical symptoms — they may pose a critical risk for labour complications and other consequences. A fibroid specialist aims to remove fibroids, treat fibroids, and offer a more precise diagnosis to guide your ongoing health needs.

As an Advanced Laparoscopic Surgeon, Dr. Hugo is a specialist who offers minimally invasive surgery and procedures to remove fibroids. This includes keyhole surgeries such as laparoscopic myomectomy and hysterectomy. However, surgery is only presented as an option when necessary. Your specialist will help you better understand the conditions around fibroids and find a treatment method that suits your personal preferences and individual health needs.

The Relationship Between Fibroids and Fertility

These benign tumours within the uterine muscle may cause more than just pelvic pain, heavy bleeding, and abnormally painful periods.

Patients with fibroids who have difficulty conceiving typically present with either never having had a natural pregnancy, recurrent failure of embryo implantation at IVF, or recurrent miscarriages. As fibroids occur in many sizes and in different uterine locations, including along the uterine wall, we think there are several reasons why these patients have difficulty.

Mechanical Issues

Submucosal fibroids that are pedunculated (on a stalk) or quite prominent in the uterine cavity appear to irritate the lining/cavity by acting as a ‘foreign body’.

Anatomical Issues

Fibroids near the cervix may compress the canal and decrease the number of sperm that enter the uterus.

Submucosal and intramural (in the walls) fibroids distort the shape of the cavity, decreasing the area available for implantation. They also interfere with the natural ‘micro-contractions’ in the uterine walls that help transport sperm high into the cavity.

Fibroids near the tubes may block them or impair their function, preventing sperm from travelling toward an egg and/or an embryo from travelling back to implant in the uterine lining.

Physiological Issues

Larger fibroids and those pushing into the cavity (submucosal) appear to have a thinner, distorted lining, with abnormal blood supply over their surface. This may interfere with embryo implantation and the ability of the placenta to put down ‘roots’.

The cells in fibroids, and fibroid growth appear to produce proteins that may affect the ability of the placenta to continue growing, leading to miscarriage.

Concerned that fibroids could be affecting your health and fertility?
Book an appointment with Dr Hugo for a common diagnostic test.

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How a Fibroid Specialist Can Help

Future fertility is the most important factor when deciding how best to manage symptoms associated with fibroids. While treatment is not always necessary, some treatments are contraceptive, and others affect a patient’s fertility altogether. A fertility specialist who regularly manages both fibroids and fertility is best placed to review each case individually and balance a patient’s needs. Generally, these are:

Current Fertility Issues: Patients with fibroids where there has been difficulty conceiving, or issues with pregnancies (previous prematurity, miscarriages).
Future Fertility: Patients who are symptomatic of their fibroids and require treatment, but who want to preserve fertility for the future.

Your Fibroid Questions Answered

How do fibroids impact pregnancy?

During routine pregnancy scans, fibroids are found in up to a third of patients. While they are extremely common and the average woman remains asymptomatic, the complications associated may be severe. Fibroids may lead to significant pain during pregnancy, increased miscarriage, bleeding, malpresentation, preterm labour and birth, abnormal labour, cesarian delivery, and postpartum bleeding.

How do I decide on the best treatment for me?

All options for managing fibroids have benefits and risks, so treatment needs to be individualised to your symptoms, and the number, size, type, and location of fibroids. The most important question you should consider is about fertility and whether you’ve completed your family. Dr Hugo aims to provide different options to help control symptoms, from surgical treatments such as keyhole surgery to hormone treatments.

Can fibroids be treated during pregnancy?

The short answer is no.

Pain from rapid fibroid growth (red degeneration) may be managed with painkillers that are often required for the remainder of a pregnancy. Surgical removal of a fibroid during pregnancy is very rare because of the high risk to both mother and baby, and treatment should almost always be delayed until after birth. As fibroids often shrink in the three to six months following pregnancy, symptomatic fibroids may improve to the point of not needing treatment or may be managed with less invasive procedures.

Can I still have children?

Studies show that women have increased pregnancy rates following the treatment of some types of fibroids. While fibroids are the only clinical cause of infertility in 2.5% of cases, difficulty conceiving is rarely the result of just one issue. More commonly, a couple or patient will have fibroids and any number of other important issues contributing to an inability to become pregnant.

A specialist in fibroids and fertility will investigate, exclude, and manage all these issues at once, and provide you with a tailored plan to improve your fertility.

Can my fibroids and fertility be treated together?

If your gynecologist is both a fertility specialist and experienced with managing fibroids, then both issues may be managed at once. When fibroids are removed laparoscopically, the hospital stay is usually only one to two nights with two to three weeks off work.

How can fibroids affect my period?

When fibroids grow on the wall of the uterus, they may cause significant symptoms across a wide variety of health areas. This can include heavy and painful periods, which is a common complication that may benefit from surgical removal to clear the uterine cavity of large fibroids. Treatment options such as hormonal treatments will aim to alleviate the painful pressure symptoms associated with uterine fibroids.

Why See Fibroid Specialist, Dr Hugo?

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Exceptional Care

Patients often visit a gynaecologist for issues that are very personal and private. With Dr Hugo’s experienced team, you can trust that you will receive gynaelogical services that are based on proven treatments and delivered with care tailored to your unique needs.

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Personalised Services

While Dr Hugo is an Advanced Laparoscopic Surgeon, specialising in minimally invasive surgery and procedures such as laparoscopic hysterectomy and myomectomy, you can be assured that these are only offered when necessary. Your care is always personalised and you will have a say in treatment and what you’re comfortable with every step of the way.

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Combined Treatment Options

If fertility is a concern, Dr Hugo is uniquely equipped to help. As a surgeon and fertility specialist, he aims to actively treat both your uterine fibroids and fertility at the same time. Care may be managed through his own state-of-the-art unit, Newlife IVF, so that you don’t waste precious time or need to move between different specialists and offices.

Your Patient Journey

Referral

To receive a Medicare rebate, you’ll need a referral letter from your GP or another specialist. This also allows me to communicate with your GP or health team.

Book Appointment

I consult mainly from my rooms at Epworth Richmond, but there are also appointments available in Coburg and Warragul. Please call, or book online.

Before Appointment

We will email you a link to a thorough online health and fertility questionnaire. This allows us to spend more time concentrating on your fertility concerns at your first appointment.

First Appointment

I review your health and fertility questionnaire and any results before you attend. At this consultation, I’ll take a thorough history and possibly order further investigations. We’ll discuss the potential issues, and you’ll have an honest assessment of your fertility and possible treatments, including success rates and the pros and cons of each. This appointment will take around 30-45 minutes.

Review Appointments

Further review may be needed to discuss results and your treatment options. As all management is personalised, these are scheduled to your unique situation and treatment.

Treatment

Fertility treatment can range from advice about timing to simple medications or even fertility optimising surgery.

Contact Dr Hugo Fernandes to Address Your Health Concerns
& Fertility Specialist Melbourne.

You cannot understate the impact of fibroids. They have the ability to impact your health, overall quality of life, and your fertility. If you worry that fibroids may be impacting your health and well-being, you shouldn’t wait another day. Booking an appointment with a fibroid specialist may give you answers, peace of mind, and a treatment plan tailored to your individual health needs. You deserve better than to live with the discomfort that can come with fibroids. If you’re dealing with painful periods, fertility concerns, or pressure symptoms that may be related to fibroids, our team is ready to help out.

Book an appointment with Dr Hugo today and we’ll find a time to start your journey to better health together.