Head of Incheon Sejong Hospital Song Min-kyung (Obstetrics and Gynecology)
(Seoul Ilbo/Reporter Wonhee Lee) Most ovarian cancers and uterine fibroids have no obvious symptoms, so regular checkups are very important.
On the occasion of “International Women’s Day” on the 8th, Incheon Sejong Hospital (Director Oh Byeong-hee), Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Song Min-kyung said: “Recently, the incidence of endometriosis and Giant uterine fibroids among young women has been increasing.”
Director Song stressed, “It is important to treat the condition surgically or nonsurgically, but the best way to preserve a healthy ovary and uterus is to detect abnormalities early through regular checkups.”
■ Ovarian cancer
The ovaries are organs located on both sides of the uterus. There are two main types of nodules that form here: benign tumors and malignant (cancer) tumors.
Ovarian tumors are divided based on cell type. There are “benign tumors”, “borderline tumors” and “malignant tumors” such as “functional cysts”, endometriosis and teratomas that disappear without special treatment in women of childbearing age who ovulate according to the menstrual cycle.
Ovarian tumors are relatively asymptomatic until they grow in size, but if they twist or rupture, they can cause extreme pain. If the tumor becomes very large, it can put pressure on the bladder in front and the rectum in back, causing various symptoms such as difficulty urinating and defecating.
Treatment of benign tumors is determined by considering several factors, including the patient’s age, marital and pregnancy status, symptoms, tumor size, and the possibility of malignancy.
If it is a young benign functional cyst, observation or hormonal treatment may be considered, while if it is a tumor, surgery may be considered. Ovarian tumors are diagnosed and treated through surgery, so surgery is the key to diagnosis.
There are two types of surgery: laparoscopic surgery and open surgery. Open surgery is considered when the size of the tumor is very large or malignancy is suspected.
Newly performed robotic laparoscopic surgery can perform more precise tumor resection than regular laparoscopy. It reduces bleeding during surgery and facilitates the maintenance of normal ovaries, which is especially useful for young women who need to preserve their fertility. In the case of surgery with the latest fourth-generation da Vinci SP robot, the surgery is performed through a single hole in the navel, which has the added benefit of reducing pain and scarring after surgery.
Most ovarian cancers have no obvious symptoms. Therefore, it is very important to receive regular checkups.
The basic ovarian exam is a pelvic exam and an ultrasound. For a precise examination, blood tests for tumor markers, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be done.
There is no specific prevention method for benign tumors, but smoking cessation, a balanced diet and exercise are useful.
■ Uterine fibroids
Uterine fibroids are benign tumors that occur in the uterus. Depending on the location in which they occur, they are classified into intramuscular myomas and submucous myomas. Intramuscular myomas have been reported to account for 80% of the total, followed by subserous myomas at 15% and submucosal myomas at 5%.
More than 50% of uterine fibroids may be asymptomatic. However, as the size of the fibroid increases, various symptoms occur depending on the location of the fibroid. Typical symptoms include excessive menstruation, abnormal uterine bleeding, menstrual pain, pelvic pressure, constipation, and dyspareunia. If uterine fibroids press on the bladder, symptoms such as frequent urination and difficulty urinating may appear.
Diagnosis of fibroids is made by pelvic examination, ultrasound, hysteroscopy, CT, MRI, etc. The treatment includes drug treatment, surgical treatment and non-surgical treatment and a treatment plan is developed taking into consideration various factors such as the size and location of the fibroid, age of the patient, marriage and childbirth. Small, asymptomatic fibroids are monitored through periodic checks.
Drug treatment of uterine fibroids can temporarily help reduce their size or improve symptoms.
Surgical treatments include uterine myomectomy and hysterectomy, which are performed using laparoscopy and open surgery. If the dimensions are very large or serious adhesions are suspected, open surgery is considered. Newly performed robotic surgery can be performed in cases where the myoma is in a location that is difficult to operate with a general laparoscope or for adhesive myoma. In particular, da Vinci SP robotic surgery has the advantage of reducing pain and scarring.
Nonsurgical treatments for uterine fibroids include HIFU, which focuses high-intensity ultrasound on a single point to burn the tumor, uterine artery embolization, and uterine fibroids. It may be considered in cases where surgery is difficult due to a chronic disease or when the patient is afraid of surgery. However, there is an important disadvantage: non-surgical treatment cannot diagnose whether uterine fibroids are malignant.
■ Incheon Sejong Hospital performs latest surgery with fourth-generation da Vinci SP robot
The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Incheon Sejong Hospital provides customized treatments for ovarian tumors and uterine fibroids surgically or non-surgically.
Through single-hole laparoscopy and the latest fourth-generation Da Vinci SP robotic surgery, we are helping to increase patient satisfaction and improve the quality of life after surgery by reducing bleeding during surgery, preserving the uterus and normal ovaries and reducing pain and scarring after surgery.
In particular, da Vinci SP robotic surgery has great advantages over regular laparoscopy when fibroid surgery is difficult to access due to poor localization or when precision surgery is needed to preserve fertility.
Incheon Sejong Hospital recently performed successful early cancer surgery, bilateral ovarian tumor removal, 10cm giant uterine myomectomy, and multiple uterine myomectomy without blood transfusion using the da Vinci SP robot.
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