Fibroids - What will happen?

In this section

If you don't have treatment
If you have treatment

If you have fibroids, you may wonder what will happen to you. A lot depends on whether you have treatment. Here's what we know from the research.

If you don't have treatment

If you don't have any symptoms, you may never have any problems from your fibroids.[2]
Your fibroids could stay the same size for at least a year.[3]
If your fibroids are growing, waiting to treat them could make surgery harder on you and more difficult for your surgeon to do because they've got bigger.[4]
Your fibroids are unlikely to stop you getting pregnant.[5] For more, see Fibroids and getting pregnant.
If you're pregnant, your fibroids are unlikely to cause any problems. They'll probably stay the same size or even shrink during your pregnancy.[1] For more, see Fibroids and pregnancy.
Your fibroids will probably shrink when you go through the menopause.[2]

If you have treatment

Your fibroids are likely to grow back soon after you stop taking hormone treatments.[6]
Fibroids may grow back after surgery to remove them (called a myomectomy).[7]
You still have a good chance of getting pregnant after having surgery to remove fibroids.[5]
Most women who've had surgery to remove their womb (called a hysterectomy) say it made their life better because they didn't have symptoms anymore.[8] But you can't get pregnant after this surgery.

References

Lumsden MA, Wallace EM. Clinical presentation of uterine fibroids. Baillieres Clinical Obstetrics and Gynaecology. 1998; 12: 177-195.
DeWaay DJ, Syrop CH, Nygaard IE, et al. Natural history of uterine polyps and leiomyomata. Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2002; 100: 3-7.
Carlson KJ, Miller BA, Fowler FJ Jr. The Maine Women's Health Study: I. Outcomes of hysterectomy. Obstetrics and Gynecology. 1994; 83: 556-565.
Hillis SD, Marchbanks PA, Peterson HB. Uterine size and risk of complications among women undergoing abdominal hysterectomy for leiomyomas. Obstetrics and Gynecology. 1996; 87: 539-543.
Seracchioli R, Rossi S, Govoni F, et al. Fertility and obstetric outcome after laparoscopic myomectomy of large myomata: a randomized comparison with abdominal myomectomy. Human Reproduction. 2000; 15: 2663-2668.
Friedman AJ, Hoffman DI, Comite F, et al. Treatment of leiomyomata uteri with leuprolide acetate depot: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter study. Obstetrics and Gynecology. 1991; 77: 720-725.
Royal Free Hospital. Myomectomy. Available at http://www.fibroids.uk.net/myomectomy.htm (accessed on 23 June 2007).
Lumsden MA. Embolization versus myomectomy versus hysterectomy: which is best, when? Human Reproduction. 2002; 17: 253-259.

Glossary

menopause: When a woman stops having periods, it is called the menopause. This usually happens around the age of 50.

This information does not replace medical advice. If you are concerned you might have a medical problem please ask your Boots pharmacy team in your local Boots store, or see your doctor.