If you have one polyp in the uterus, it is better to remove the uterus or not
Many women may have been told they are diagnosed with a common abnormality of the uterus lining, called polyps. Though common growth, understanding of their development inside the uterine cavity, and knowing the symptoms that vary with severity, concerns, and complications will help women to decide which course of treatment best suits them. To get relieved of the uterine polyp might be the best suitable treatment for many women with polyps but to do it by having the entire uterus removed is not always a necessity. Uterus removal by hysterectomy is a serious surgery with a higher rate of non-lethal complications including infections, blood clots, cardiac conditions, transfusion reactions, or sometimes complications of the surgery itself. Hysterectomy is usually indicated for cancer or other serious conditions for which a simpler treatment option is not available or not possible. The expertise of a hysterectomy specialist in Chennai is an advantage for women to get the necessary assessment and decision-making in the treatment of uterine polyps.
Is the uterus to be removed if the polyp is big?
The uterus is a muscular cavity with the inside lining made of fluffy endometrial tissue that periodically grows and shrinks during the menstrual cycle and is shed, causing a menstrual period. After a period, the influence of the hormone oestrogen makes the lining grow rapidly. Polyps are areas of the endometrium that grow a little too much. Uterine polyps are also called endometrial polyps as they are growths that occur in the endometrium. An overgrowth of endometrial tissue, round or oval in shape, ranging in size from as small as sesame seed to being the size of a golf ball is found as a polyp that is attached to the endometrium by a thin stalk or a broad base and extends inward into the uterus. Most polyps are small that do not often cause symptoms. However, a single polyp can grow to the size of an orange causing severe symptoms. But this may not affect the uterus to the extent that the whole uterus needs to be removed. The size, location, and type of tissues (benign or malignant) that form the polyp are the factors that usually influence the need for removal of just the polyp or the entire uterus.
Is the uterus to be removed if bleeding is heavy?
Most polyps are small that probably do not often cause symptoms. However, if a woman complains of spotting between periods or after intercourse, or very heavy bleeding during a menstrual period, polyps could be one of the many possible causes. A few days of brown blood after a normal menstrual period could also be a sign of the polyp. Bleeding is one of the symptoms caused by the polyp because they dangle from their stalks and irritate the surrounding tissue, rubbing them off and exposing tiny blood vessels. Bleeding of these blood vessels leads to spotting or vaginal bleeding. The polyp itself or the bleeding it causes may interfere with the sperm fertilizing the egg or lead to a miscarriage, thus making it hard for the woman to get pregnant. Diagnosing endometrial polyps involves looking inside the uterine cavity. Gynecologists at the hysterectomy center in Chennai advise removal of the polyp if they are found in women with a history of bleeding due to the polyp. Removal of the uterus is not suggestive if bleeding can be arrested by removing the polyp.
Does the uterus need to be removed if the polyp is recurrent?
A polyp that has been removed once can recur. It is possible that treatment more than once is required in recurring uterine polyps. Encouraging clinical effects in the treatment of uterine polyps have been reported where hysteroscopic removal of the polyp was followed by hormone therapy as it is shown to have effectively prevented the recurrence of polyps. Uterine polyps that are thought to recur, in many instances are actually different polyps. Some polyps that were missed or incompletely removed with a blind dilatation and curettage could be seen as recurrent polyps. Higher concurrent use of hysteroscopy for better viewing the inside of the uterus, has reduced the chances of oversights and has apparently decreased the rate of polyp recurrence.
Is it advisable to remove the uterus if the polyp shows cancer risk?
Polyps can occur during both reproductive and postmenopausal phases of life. If a polyp is diagnosed, one of the first concerns is if it could be cancerous. Most uterine polyps are not cancer whereas, polyps can in rare instances turn cancerous. The risk of a polyp turning into cancer increases slightly, as the woman passes 50 years of age. Sometimes, a polyp might turn into cancer even later, the chances of that being higher after going through menopause. During the investigation, if the polyp is found to contain precancerous or cancerous cells, removal of the uterus may become necessary. Certain precancerous changes of the uterus, known as endometrial hyperplasia or in uterine cancers called endometrial carcinomas, may appear as uterine polyps. Removal of the polyp will always be followed by the tissue sample sent for lab analysis to be certain that there is no risk of uterine cancer. Additional surgery is usually necessary if a polyp is cancerous. The entire uterus is removed as necessary through the surgical procedure, hysterectomy, in conditions where cancer cells are found in the uterine polyps.
Polyps remain a frequent reason for presentation to gynecologists as a cause of uterine bleeding, female infertility, and as a possible precursor to malignancy. Removal of polyp is advisable in all women with symptoms and in postmenopausal women. Uterus removal is only necessary when other options may not be viable. Hysteroscopic removal of uterine polyps is the latest trending procedure that can be safely performed without anesthesia or under local anesthesia. Access to the latest therapies and technologies in reproductive disorders and reproductive surgery at the center for hysterectomy treatment in Chennai can enable women to tailored treatments that meet individual needs.
