Fibroids Specialist

Advanced Healthcare for Women

OB/GYNs located in La Grange Highlands, IL

Fibroids affect up to 70-90% of all women by age 50. This condition can create a variety of problems, including pain, pressure, and infertility. If you suffer from fibroids, Scott Multack, DO, can help you find relief at Advanced Healthcare for Women. He is one of the few doctors in the La Grange Highlands, Illinois, area to offer leading edge da Vinci® Surgery for fibroid removal. Call today for an appointment.

Fibroids Q & A

What are uterine fibroids?

Uterine fibroids are benign muscular tumors. They range in size from microscopic to grapefruit-sized, and they grow on the uterine wall or inside the uterus. Fibroids can develop when one abnormal muscle cell in the uterus, fueled by estrogen, quickly multiplies into a tumor.

Researchers aren’t sure what causes fibroids, but hormones and genetic factors play a role. Women in their childbearing years — particularly African-American women — are most prone to developing fibroids. Estrogen and progesterone seem to have an effect on fibroid growth as well. Alcohol consumption, family history, vitamin D deficiency, diet, obesity, birth control, high blood pressure, and early menstruation also play a role in fibroid risk.

Fibroids are a very common condition. Most women will experience fibroids before menopause, but usually, they aren't problematic.

How do I know if I have fibroids?

Women with fibroids encounter a range of symptoms including heavy periods, constipation, pelvic pressure, and painful cramps. Women sometimes report pain during sex and frequent urination. In extreme cases, women who have fibroids experience infertility or miscarriage.

Studies estimate that up to 70-90% of women will develop fibroids by age 50, A large percentage of these women don’t show any symptoms and don’t even know they have fibroids until their doctor points them out. Dr. Multack screens for uterine fibroids during pelvic exams and will perform a transvaginal sonogram if necessary.

What treatment options are available for uterine fibroids?

Depending on the severity of your symptoms, treatment for uterine fibroids ranges from hormone treatments that target the symptoms to fibroid removal or embolization that target the cause.

For some women, birth control pills are enough to regulate the heavy bleeding. Others might require more involved treatments. Embolization, for instance, is a minimally invasive procedure that decreases blood flow to the fibroids, causing them to shrink. If medication and other treatments don’t minimize the symptoms, Dr. Multack can also remove fibroids with surgery. Some women may even choose to have a complete hysterectomy to remove the entire uterus.

Dr. Multack performs da Vinci Surgery for fibroid removal and hysterectomy. If you have or suspect you have uterine fibroids, make an appointment to see Dr. Multack before they get any worse.