laparoscopy surgery

Myomectomy is a surgical procedure to remove uterine fibroids - also called leiomyomas. These common noncancerous growths appear in the uterus, usually during childbearing years, but they can occur at any age. The surgeon's goal during myomectomy is to take out symptom-causing fibroids and reconstruct the uterus. Unlike a hysterectomy, which removes your entire uterus, a myomectomy removes only the fibroids and leaves your uterus intact.

Women who undergo myomectomy report improvement in fibroid symptoms, including heavy menstrual bleeding and pelvic pressure.

Why it's done

Your doctor might recommend myomectomy for fibroids causing symptoms that are troublesome or interfere with your normal activities. If you need surgery, reasons to choose a myomectomy instead of a hysterectomy for uterine fibroids include:

• You plan to bear children
• Your doctor suspects uterine fibroids might be interfering with your fertility
• You want to keep your uterus