Do you need surgery for uterine fibroids? Keep these precautions in mind

Author: Qin Chenglu, Chief Physician, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University (Shenzhen Luohu District People's Hospital)

Reviewer: Luo Guangnan, Chief Physician, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University (Shenzhen Luohu District People's Hospital)

Xiaoli was diagnosed with uterine fibroids during a physical examination, and the doctor recommended surgery, which puzzled her because her friend also had uterine fibroids, but the doctor said it was nothing serious and did not require any treatment.

Are uterine fibroids also different? In what cases do you need to undergo surgery? If you do undergo surgery, what are the precautions?

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1. Which uterine fibroids require surgical treatment?

Studies have shown that the symptoms of uterine fibroids vary depending on the location of the fibroids and the individual patient.

Some patients have mild symptoms and can be treated with medication; some patients have no symptoms and do not need treatment, but if the following conditions are found, the doctor will recommend surgical treatment to the patient.

1. The patient's menstrual volume increased and the menstrual duration prolonged, which has led to anemia. In severe cases, symptoms such as general fatigue, pale complexion, palpitations and shortness of breath appear, and drug treatment has no effect.

2. The patient experienced symptoms of lower abdominal distension, back pain, and aggravated menstrual dysmenorrhea, which did not improve after drug treatment.

3. The patient is infertile or has experienced multiple miscarriages. Based on the examination results, the doctor has not ruled out that the cause of infertility and miscarriage is related to uterine fibroids.

4. Uterine fibroids grow larger and press on the bladder, causing the patient to have increased urination frequency and difficulty urinating. Uterine fibroids may also compress the rectum, causing constipation in the patient.

5. Uterine fibroids grow rapidly in a short period of time, and patients worry about malignant lesions.

6. For patients who have already reached menopause, uterine fibroids not only do not shrink due to the decrease in estrogen, but continue to grow, posing an uncertain risk.

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If surgical treatment is required, patients should follow the doctor's advice to avoid worsening symptoms and leading to worse consequences.

Before the operation, patients should be fully prepared and know what to expect so as not to have excessive worries and anxieties.

2. Preparation and precautions before surgery

First, the patient needs to make some medical preparations.

1. Routine examinations such as electrocardiogram and chest X-ray to check whether the patient's physical condition is suitable for surgery.

2. Blood tests mainly include blood routine, blood type and coagulation function, etc. If some test results do not meet the requirements for surgery, such as severe anemia, the anemia should be treated first, and then the uterine fibroid surgery should be performed.

After completing these examinations, surgery can be arranged only if it is determined that the patient has no contraindications to surgery.

In addition to this, patients also need to prepare themselves mentally, as uterine fibroid surgery will bring great psychological pressure to patients.

Elderly patients worry about uterine fibroids turning into cancer after learning that they have them, while middle-aged patients worry that surgery will affect their fertility and sexual function, which can lead to anxiety, tension, and fear. At the same time, because they do not understand the relevant knowledge about the disease and surgery, they are also worried about whether there will be sequelae after surgery that will affect their normal life.

Therefore, before surgery, patients should understand relevant knowledge about uterine fibroids, surgical methods, and the effects that can be achieved after surgery. At the same time, they should adjust their mentality, build up self-confidence in recovery, and receive psychological counseling when necessary to eliminate tension and anxiety [1].

A person's mental state has a great impact on the recovery of the disease. If the patient maintains a relaxed attitude to face the operation, it will be more conducive to postoperative recovery.

After the preoperative preparation is completed, the surgery can be scheduled. Strictly follow the precautions before surgery to avoid affecting the effect of the surgery.

What should I pay attention to before uterine fibroid surgery?

You should take a shower the day before the operation and clean the skin surface to prevent infection of the surgical incision. You cannot wear makeup, jewelry, or manicure on the day of the operation to avoid affecting the monitoring of physical indicators during the operation.

The patient should start eating liquid food the day before the operation, and should not eat or drink water on the morning of the operation, in order to prevent the patient from feeling nauseous or vomiting due to anesthesia or surgery, which may cause food to be accidentally inhaled into the respiratory tract.

Patients should ensure adequate sleep. Good sleep can make the patient's physical condition reach the best, which is conducive to the successful implementation of the operation.

Postoperative care is also very important, and even directly affects the patient's physical recovery and subsequent physical health.

3. What should be paid attention to in postoperative care

After the operation, special attention should be paid to the methods and approaches of care to avoid aggravating the patient's pain.

Depending on the type of surgery, the length of hospital stay varies, but is usually 2 to 7 days. During hospitalization, special attention should be paid to wound care, with anti-infection treatment as the main approach. The surgical incision should always be kept clean to prevent bacterial growth.

You must fast for 6 hours after the operation. After 6 hours, you can eat some liquid food. After the gas is discharged, you can slowly switch to a normal diet.

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3. Drink more water and eat more nutritious food. The body's nutrition is good, which is conducive to the healing and recovery of the wound. At the same time, you should also avoid spicy, cold, and irritating foods, as these will irritate the wound and are not conducive to recovery.

The patient should be reviewed at the hospital one month after surgery, and then followed up every 3 to 6 months. In addition to assessing the patient's recovery after surgery and monitoring for complications, follow-up can also monitor for recurrence of uterine fibroids and assess whether the uterus is recovering well [1].

In fact, the treatment of uterine fibroids is very mature. If the doctor recommends surgery, the patient does not need to panic. Just follow the doctor's instructions, observe the precautions before and after the operation, and adjust your mentality, and you will be able to recover quickly.

References

Yang Jing. Gynecological Nursing. Nanjing: Jiangsu Phoenix Science and Technology Press, 2020.