New Minimally Invasive Procedure for Uterine Fibroids Can Lessen Patients’ Discomfort and Shorten Recovery Time
4/28/2021
Tucson, Ariz. - Northwest Healthcare is the first medical center in Southern Arizona to offer an outpatient procedure that is less invasive for women suffering from fibroid tumors, and often shortens recovery time.
The treatment, called radiofrequency ablation of fibroids, is an outpatient procedure that destroys fibroid tissue using a thin needle. It uses controlled radiofrequency energy and heat to ablate, or thermally dehydrate, the fibroid.
Fibroids are tumor-like growths made of smooth muscle cells and fibrous connective tissue that grow on a woman’s uterus and affect nearly 35 million women in the United States.
“For many women, fibroids can cause severe abdominal pain and heavy periods. This treatment enables some patients to keep their uterus and get relief from fibroid symptoms without a larger surgery,” said Dr. Carol Dehasse, an obstetrician-gynecologist with Northwest Healthcare, and the first doctor to perform the surgery locally.
The procedure involves only two small incisions, and the doctor is able to identify and treat nearly all locations of fibroids, including those outside the uterine cavity and within uterine walls, thanks to a laparoscopic camera view, and an ultrasound view in real-time.
Patients usually experience minimal discomfort, and are able to get back to their daily life within 4-5 days.
“It’s a procedure that benefits the patient, and I’m glad we’re able to be the first facility in Southern Arizona to provide this treatment for women,” said Dehasse.
About Northwest Primary & Specialty Care
Northwest Primary & Specialty Care is a practice affiliated with Northwest Healthcare which includes Northwest Medical Center, Northwest Medical Center Sahuarita, and Oro Valley Hospital. Specialists include internal medicine, family medicine, orthopedic surgery, cardiothoracic surgery, gastroenterology, general surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, gynecological surgery, neurology, sports medicine, breast surgery and podiatry. For more information about the providers who practice with Northwest Primary & Specialty Care, visit MyTucsonDoc.com.
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