UTERINE FIBROIDS CARE
IN SHERMAN, TX
Uterine Fibroid Diagnosis & Treatment for Women in North Texas & Texoma
Relief from heavy periods, pressure, and pain
Uterine fibroids are very common, benign (noncancerous) growths of the muscle of the uterus. Many women have them and never know it, while others have heavy periods, pelvic pressure, or pain. At G. DeAn Strobel, MD, PA in Sherman, TX, we diagnose and treat uterine fibroids for women across North Texas and the Texoma area — with options ranging from hormonal options to other medicine to minimally invasive surgery by Dr. Karissa Cryer. If fibroids are affecting your life, you have choices. Call or text 903-957-0275. Our board-certified gynecologists — Dr. Strobel and Dr. Cryer — and our team of nurse practitioners care for women across North Texas and Texoma.
What are uterine fibroids? Fibroids (also called leiomyomas or myomas) are growths made of muscle and tissue that form in or on the wall of the uterus. They are the most common noncancerous tumor of the uterus — by age 50, most women have had them. A fibroid can be as small as a seed or as large as a grapefruit (or larger), and you can have one or many. Where they grow matters: some sit inside the muscle wall, some bulge into the cavity of the uterus, and some grow on the outside.
What are the symptoms? Many fibroids cause no symptoms at all. When they do, common signs include heavy or long periods (sometimes with clots), bleeding between periods, pelvic pressure or a feeling of fullness, pelvic or low back pain, needing to urinate often, constipation, pain during sex, a growing belly, and tiredness from low iron (anemia). Heavy bleeding is the most common reason women come in.
What causes them, and who gets them? Doctors do not know the exact cause, but they often shrink on their own after menopause. You may be more likely to have fibroids if you are in your 30s or 40s, have a family history of them, are of African American or Hispanic descent (fibroids are more common and can start younger), or carry extra weight. Fibroids are not your fault, and having them does not mean you will need surgery.
How are they diagnosed? Fibroids are often first found during a routine pelvic exam. To confirm and map them, your provider may perform a pelvic exam, use an ultrasound (a scan that uses sound waves), a saline sonogram or a hysteroscopy (a close look inside the uterus), or in some cases an MRI. These tests show how many fibroids there are, how big they are, and where they sit — which guides your treatment.
How are they treated? There is no single right answer — the best plan depends on your symptoms, the size and place of the fibroids, and whether you hope to become pregnant. Options include watchful waiting if they are not bothering you; medicines to control bleeding or shrink fibroids (such as hormonal birth control, tranexamic acid, or GnRH medicines); and procedures such as endometrial ablation (for heavy bleeding), myomectomy (removing the fibroids while keeping the uterus), or hysterectomy (removing the uterus). Dr. Karissa Cryer offers minimally invasive laparoscopic and robotic surgery for many of these. To talk through your options, call or text 903-957-0275.