Approximately, 40% of women will have a uterine myoma at some point of their reproductive life.
Myomas are benign tumors that occur in the reproductive system, and located in the uterine wall. These are also called fibroids, leiomyomas or fibromyomas. Myomas can occur in isolation but more often they are multiple.
Some of the risk factors for suffering from them are heredity, race (more prevalent among black population), obesity, perimenopause, and high concentrations of circulating estrogen and progesterone.
Female fertility can be affected by the presence of fibroids when any of the following factors occur:
• Obstruction of the progress of sperm into the fallopian tubes.
• Changes or alterations of the uterine cavity.
• Loss of contraction ability of the uterus.
• Alterations in the blood flow.
Due to this, fibroids affecting the chances of pregnancy are usually removed, including those that alter the shape of the uterine cavity or are of large size, always at the discretion of the specialist. A myomectomy (the procedure used to remove myomas) can be performed by laparotomy, laparoscopy or hysteroscopy.
