Trying for a baby: fibroidsQ."Please can you tell me how fibroids affect fertility? I have a 3cm fibroid which a scan revealed is possibly blocking my right fallopian tube. I have been trying unsuccessfully to conceive for a year. My partner has a normal sperm count and my blood tests reveal I am ovulating. I was wondering if my fibroid could be causing problems? Both my partner and I conceived successfully in our 20's. We are now both 33. A friend of mine with a 4cm fibroid in the middle of her womb was told that she must have it removed in order to conceive successfully. Do you think this may be the case for me?"A.Fibroids are growths of fibrous tissue which occur very commonly in and around the uterus. They usually cause no problems at all, apart from leading to increasingly heavier periods as they grow. They certainly can affect fertility, but how much of an effect they have depends on how big they are and, most importantly, whereabouts they are in the uterus.If they protrude into the cavity of the uterus, you can imagine them behaving rather like an IUCD and acting so as to prevent an embryo implanting. This seems to be the case with your friend. Your problem appears to be different as the fibroid is in the middle of the uterine wall and is blocking one of the tubes. If this is the only problem you have, then the other tube should function well. Also, any attempt to remove your fibroid is likely to damage the fallopian tube because it is so close, so nothing will be gained. The success of IVF has been shown to be reduced by fibroids, but less so the further they are from the uterine cavity. With surgical techniques having improved dramatically in recent years, we are removing more and more fibroids to enhance fertility. The position of your fibroid probably makes it an exception to this. Steve Killick, Babyworld Fertility Expert Question answered 6 October 2000 |
