If you’re not familiar with the term “adenomyosis” and are still confused about it, then you’re at the right place. This article will take you through the important information that you must know about adenomyosis. The more you know about the human body and the diseases, the greater would be the chance for you to make a timely and educated decision. A similar is true for Adenomyosis. Women must understand the gravity of the situation of the disease. According to statistics, 20% to 88% of women of reproductive age suffer at the hands of adenomyosis. The greatest paradox is in how little attention is paid to it. Being common in women of all age groups, adenomyosis still remains an under-researched disease condition that poses an array of major impacts on your day-to-day life. Eventually, this goes on to affect your overall productivity, mental health, and life choices. But need not worry, there are non-surgical adenomyosis treatment plans that can be opted.
In gynecology and healthcare economics, adenomyosis is a great clinical challenge. It is defined as a benign uterine disorder in which the endometrial glands and stroma grow abnormally within the myometrium. Adenomyosis is usually misunderstood with uterine fibroids or leiomyomas however, they both differ in their pathophysiology. Contrary to leiomyomas that have characteristic defined boundaries, a concerning issue with adenomyosis is that once it develops, it keeps on growing like a chafing fungal growth with no defined boundaries.
Coming towards the root cause of adenomyosis, it is believed to be originated due to either, the invasion of endometrial cells into the uterine walls, inflammation associated with childbirth, or metaplasia (differentiation of one type of adult cell into another type) of uterine stem cells. Symptoms of adenomyosis vary greatly amongst its victims. Where some might not show any symptoms while for others it is hard to endure them to a point where it impedes their daily activities. These symptoms include extreme menstrual bleeding, bloating, unrelenting abdominal cramps, and pelvic pain. If you or anyone you know has these symptoms, it is the right time to schedule a visit to the doctor.
Adenomyosis Treatment Options
A definitive adenomyosis diagnosis is necessary before your doctor prescribes a medication regime or procedure. For its diagnostic evaluation, a physical exam or an ultrasound is not enough. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan with contrast is necessary for its definitive diagnosis.
In part, your treatment plan will depend on the spectrum of your symptoms and the severity of the disease. The treatment options for adenomyosis span from prescribing specific adenomyosis medications, and undergoing hormonal therapies and invasive procedures such as endometrial ablation to surgical removal of the uterus (hysterectomy) in the worst-case scenario. No matter what the condition, considering a hysterectomy is not something to be taken lightly. This is especially true if you’re young, and plan on having children. Before you go down this road, you should be well versed in all the consequences that it might bring with it. Understand that it’s not the ultimate solution and once done, you will no longer be fertile and able to conceive children. In order to avoid such a situation, you must first consider the best treatment plan for your adenomyosis. The good news is, that there is a non-surgical procedure to cure adenomyosis through a procedure known as 3-D precision guided uterine artery embolization (UAE). UAE has been around since 1995 as a preferable treatment option for a number of diseases. With research and knowledge, it is now possible to use it to treat adenomyosis, too.
Cure Adenomyosis Without Surgery
Uterine artery embolization is an outpatient and minimally invasive 3-D precision-guided endovascular treatment procedure. The treatment can only be performed by an expert in the field of interventional radiology. Dr. Imtiaz Ahmad is amongst the pioneers in Pakistan to have brought 3-D precision guided UAE to the people here. The procedure employs radiology in the form of real-time fluoroscopy to guide the specialist to the exact location and ensure precision. With the aid of an anesthetic spray and local anesthesia, the patient’s groin area is numbed. The femoral artery is then accessed from this area through a tube. Further, the FDA-approved micron size particles that block the blood flow to the affected area is administered through the guided tube inserted into the femoral artery. This will eventually cut off the blood supply and hence the adenomyosis outgrowths will shrink due to ischemic infarction.
The preference of the 3-D precision guided UAE over any other method for treating adenomyosis comes greatly from the level of patient compliance achieved. Being noninvasive in nature, patients need not worry about post-procedural complications. Other than minimal pain associated with the procedure which too subsides after a short while, there is no other reason for the patient to feel discomfort. The symptoms of adenomyosis will also qualify, further reducing the pain that the patient had pre-surgery.
3-D precision guided UAE is available in Pakistan in two of its major cities; Karachi and Lahore. The embolization procedure is carried out using an FDA-approved medical devices by Dr. Imtiaz Ahmad and his team of specialists. As a part of post-treatment practice, the patient can expect a follow-up up to 6 months. There are numerous success stories of patients that underwent 3-D precision guided UAE performed by Dr. Imtiaz Ahmed and his team that speak for their expertise in this regard. After undergoing the procedure, the patients have been observed to go back to their daily normal lives without any obstructions.
