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TAMPA,
Fla., May 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/
-- Tampa General Hospital today announced the expansion of its
minimally invasive gynecological surgery program with an innovative,
same-day surgical treatment choice for women experiencing debilitating pain
and fatigue caused by uterine fibroids. This treatment option may provide
faster recovery and fewer side effects.
"This new
procedure uses laparoscopic radiofrequency ablation to shrink fibroids and
allows us to spare the uterus. It can be another uterine-sparing option for
a woman suffering from this common condition," said Dr. Emad
Mikhail, a minimally invasive gynecologic surgeon at Tampa General and
associate professor and director of the Division of Gynecology in the USF
Health Morsani College of Medicine.
Fibroids are
muscular tumors that grow in the wall of the uterus. They can vary in size
and number and are almost always benign. The most common treatment for
uterine fibroids has been a hysterectomy, the removal of the uterus and
sometimes the ovaries.
As a major surgery
that involves removal of the uterus and potentially the ovaries, a
hysterectomy also compromises a woman's fertility. The surgery causes
earlier onset of menopause and can also trigger significant physical and
emotional side effects. Physical side effects include pain, blood loss,
scarring, sweating, hot flashes, vaginal dryness and disturbed sleep, as
well as several weeks of recovery. Emotional side effects can impact each
woman differently and some women can experience feelings of sadness,
depression and grief.
"With this new
procedure, we only treat the fibroids and do not have to completely remove
them to relieve symptoms," Dr. Mikhail said. The radiofrequency
ablation destroys the fibroid tissue, which shrinks over time resolving the
symptoms.
"Because it's
minimally invasive and there are only three small incisions, most women go
home the same day and return to their normal activities in four to five
days," Dr. Mikhail said. Depending on the severity of the symptoms,
many patients see the most relief in about three months. In a clinical
study, 94 percent of women reported improvement in their symptoms.
Women with
symptomatic fibroids can experience bleeding heavy enough to cause anemia,
enlargement of the lower stomach, lower back pain, a feeling of fullness in
the lower stomach area and frequent urination. "Fibroid symptoms can
be disruptive and debilitating, particularly for women who desire uterine
preservation," Dr. Mikhail said.
"Radiofrequency
ablation is used to treat conditions in the liver, bone and prostate.
However, this is the first time it has been used to treat uterine fibroids.
For certain patients, this treatment can be a good alternative to other
options such as a hysterectomy," Dr. Mikhail said. To complete
the procedure, the physician uses a camera, ultrasound and digital guidance
mapping.
For more information
on the Acessa ProVu system and Tampa General, contact the USF Health
Appointment Line, (813) 259-8500.
ABOUT TAMPA GENERAL
HOSPITAL
Tampa General
Hospital, a 1007-bed non-profit academic medical center, is one of the
largest hospitals in America and delivers world-class care as the region's
only center for Level l trauma and comprehensive burn care. Tampa General
Hospital is the highest-ranked hospital in the market in U.S. News &
World Report's 2020-21 Best Hospitals, and one of the top 4 hospitals
in Florida, with five specialties ranking among the best programs
in the United States. It is one of the nation's busiest adult solid
organ transplant centers and is the primary teaching hospital for the USF
Health Morsani College of Medicine. With five medical helicopters, Tampa
General Hospital transports critically injured or ill patients from 23
surrounding counties to receive the advanced care they need. Tampa General
houses a nationally accredited comprehensive stroke center and its 32-bed
Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit is the largest on the West Coast
of Florida. It also is home to the Jennifer Leigh Muma
82-bed Level IV neonatal intensive care unit, and a nationally accredited
rehabilitation center. Tampa General Hospital's footprint includes 17 Tampa
General Medical Group Primary Care offices, TGH Family Care Center Kennedy,
TGH Brandon Healthplex, TGH Virtual Health and 19 outpatient Radiology
Centers. Tampa Bay residents also receive world-class care from
the TGH Urgent Care powered by Fast Track network of
clinics, and they can even receive home visits in select areas
through TGH Urgent Care at Home, powered by Fast Track. As
one of the largest hospitals in the country, Tampa General Hospital is
first in Florida to partner with GE Healthcare and open a
clinical command center that uses artificial intelligence and predictive
analytics to improve and better coordinate patient care at a lower cost.
For more information, go to www.tgh.org.
ABOUT USF HEALTH
USF Health's mission
is to envision and implement the future of health. It is the partnership of
the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, the College of Nursing, the
College of Public Health, the Taneja College of Pharmacy, the School of
Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences, the Biomedical Sciences
Graduate and Postdoctoral Programs, and USF Health's multispecialty
physicians group. The University of South Florida is a
high-impact global research university dedicated to student success. Over
the past 10 years, no other public university in the country has risen
faster in U.S. News & World Report's national
university rankings than USF. For more information, visit health.usf.edu.
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