Atlanta Fibroid Expert Comments On The RHOA Star Cynthia Bailey's Fibroid Announcement

ATLANTA - Nov. 29, 2013 - PRLog -- The Real Housewives of Atlanta star Cynthia Bailey recently revealed that she was suffering from uterine fibroids.  Uterine fibroids are noncancerous growths that form from muscle cells in the wall of the uterus.  They occur in 2 or 3 out of every 10 women over the age of 35.  They occur most often in women between the ages of 30 and 50, but women in their 20s can have them too.

Two weeks ago on an episode of The Real Housewives of Atlanta Cynthia said, “These fibroids are literally draining the life out of me.”  She described symptoms of bloating, weight gain, and excessive bleeding.  “Bleeding is the worse symptom—changing every 30-45 minutes.  Always leaking over.”

Cynthia decided to do something about her fibroids and went to see a radiologist, rather than a gynecologist.  The radiologist told her, “The surgical approach to treating this is a hysterectomy, removing the uterus surgically.  Now, the nonsurgical approach to treating this is called uterine fibroid embolization.  The procedure takes about 45 minutes to perform.  There is about a 4-5 day average recovery after this.”

Dr. Michael Randell, a Board Certified OBGYN in Atlanta and fibroid expert, who has not been involved in Cynthia’s care, says that women should research their options if they have uterine fibroids.

“During the consultation with the radiologist, Cynthia wasn’t informed about another approach to treating fibroids, called a myomectomy, in which just the uterine fibroids are removed, saving the uterus.  This can be performed as an outpatient procedure through very small incisions and the recovery is quick,” Dr. Randell says.  “Women mistakenly believe that the only option to treating fibroids is a hysterectomy,” he adds.

Dr. Randell, who has successfully performed hundreds of myomectomy procedures at Northside Hospital-Atlanta, encourages women to know the facts before undergoing uterine fibroid embolization (“UFE”) in which tiny particles are injected into blood vessels leading to the uterus, cutting off the fibroids’ blood supply in an attempt to shrink them. “A study published last year revealed that young women who have a UFE are more likely to have a recurrence than older women are,” Dr. Randell says.

The study found that of 176 women treated with UFE, the "clinical failure" rate was 18 percent over seven years.  That meant that the women's symptoms came back after initially getting better -- typically after three years.  And women age 40 or younger accounted for a large portion of those recurrences.  They were almost six times more likely to see their symptoms come back, versus women who underwent embolization after age 40.

It is not surprising that women under 40 have more recurrences.  Women who have fibroids treated after age 40 are closer to menopause when fibroids may shrink on their own.  But younger women have a longer time for the recurrence to happen.  Moreover, fibroids that occur at a younger age are usually more severe.

“For younger women and women who want to become pregnant, myomectomy should be considered first because at least in the first few years after treatment, fertility rates appear to be better after myomectomy versus embolization.” says Dr. Randell.  “Even older women with fibroids who don’t want to have a hysterectomy can be treated with a myomectomy.”

In the UFE study, nearly all the woman who had a recurrence and underwent a repeat UFE procedure eventually underwent a myomectomy or hysterectomy.

“Unfortunately, as seen in this episode of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, it’s common for doctors to tell women with fibroids that the only surgical treatment available to them is a hysterectomy,” says Dr. Randell. “This is not true.” (Read "The Operation That Could Save Countless Women From Hysterectomy by clicking the link: http://dailym.ai/18fKSR7)

If you want to avoid a hysterectomy Dr. Randell urges women to ask your gynecologist about other options and make sure you fully understand the procedure you are having performed.  He says that women should get a second opinion if your doctor says you are not a candidate for a myomectomy.

Dr. Randell is where other gynecologists send their patients in need of fibroid surgery.  Also, women who are told by their own gynecologists that they need to have a hysterectomy seek out Dr. Randell due to his ability to preserve a woman’s uterus and only remove the fibroids.  In addition, many women who have not had satisfactory results with UFE consult with Dr. Randell to have their fibroids removed.

When fibroids are smaller and fewer in number, with the use of the daVinci robot, women can have their fibroids removed through a few small incisions.  This allows for quick healing, less pain, and a return to normal activity soon after the surgery.  Dr. Randell is a leading expert in the Country in minimally invasive myomectomy surgery and has one of the largest series of surgical cases that he has performed.

“Many patients are told their surgery needs to be done through a traditional open approach.  My team and I have perfected the robotic procedure where just the fibroids are removed and the uterus is sewn back together in a way to ensure a healthy pregnancy,” says Dr. Randell who is also an obstetrician and delivers babies.


Visit http://www.obgynatl.com or http://www.fibroidsatlanta.com or http://www.atlantaroboticsurgery.com for more information.

Appointments can be made by calling 404.250.4443.


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Michael D. Randell, M.D., F.A.C.O.G. is a Board Certified Obstetrician and Gynecologist in Atlanta, Georgia. He is on the Medical Staff of Northside Hospital. His private office is located in Sandy Springs, next to Northside Hospital. Dr. Randell is a Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. He is an expert in laparoscopic and robotic surgery. With over twenty years of experience, he trains other surgeons on the use of the daVinci robot and lectures across the Country on many topics in women’s healthcare.

Dr. Randell's practice provides comprehensive women's health care. They take care of patients needing high risk obstetrical care and advanced gynecological surgical care, including robotic surgery.