What Happens to Fibroids After Shrinkage?

Also called leiomyoma, fibroids are growths of tissue and nerves on the uterine lining. According to the Office of Women's Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, fibroids are most common in women ages 30 to 50, affecting African American women more than any other race. They are growths of muscle tissue that are benign tumors, but they can grow to be very large. Women get relief from fibroids by shrinking them using drug regimens, embolization and ultrasound surgery.

Scars

• After the fibroid shrinking treatment, the muscular tumors do reduce in size. They become hardened masses of dead cells. The treatment cuts off the blood supply to the fibroid, according to Oregon Health & Science University. These scars stay along the uterine lining. They are much smaller than the original fibroid, but will not disappear. The scars will remain. This process is known as hyaline sclerosis and commonly occurs after embolization and ultrasound therapy.

Rebounds

• Drug treatments for fibroids include birth control and hormone therapies. Birth control can shrink fibroids and keep them at bay while you are taking the drug. The fibroid doesn't completely go away. However, they do not work in all patients. Hormone therapy is used to treat fibroids and may shrink them somewhat. Unfortunately, hormone therapy only shrinks the fibroids temporarily. The fibroids can and will return to their pre-treatment size.

New Fibroids

• Although the embolization and ultrasound treatments do successfully shrink fibroids, they do not prevent new growth from occurring. New fibroids can grow on the uterine tissue that remains unscarred. The treatment will have to be repeated in order to shrink the new fibroids. According to the University of California Los Angeles Health System, a hysterectomy (complete removal of the uterus) is the only way to prevent new fibroids from growing.

Considerations

• The successful shrinking treatments will take time to work after the procedure. You may experience symptoms in the days after treatment, before the fibroid shrinks. The scars are permanent and will not shrink any further then 50 to 60 percent of the original fibroid's size.