Fibroids Care
Heavy, painful periods are too often dismissed as normal, but fibroids, non-cancerous growths in the womb, are a common cause and can bring pain, pressure, heavy bleeding, and fertility concerns.
Mr Jonathan Broome offers diagnosis and individualised fibroid management according to patients’ requirements and symptoms, from watchful waiting and medication through to myomectomy (fibroid removal) or hysterectomy.
Overview
Muscle and fibrous tissue sometimes clump together to form fibroids: non-cancerous growths in the womb. They are almost always benign, and cancerous change is very rare. They vary widely in size, number and position, classified by where in the womb they grow, from small growths with no noticeable effect to larger ones that change the shape of the womb. Fibroids often grow under the influence of oestrogen, which is why they tend to shrink after menopause.
Fibroids are common: around one in three women will develop them at some point, most often between their thirties and forties. Many cause no symptoms at all and are found by chance, while others lead to heavy periods, pain or pressure that is easily mistaken for something else. A scan is a reliable way to identify their size, number and position, and in turn how best to manage them. As a private fibroid specialist, Mr Broome sees women with uterine fibroids from across Manchester, Bolton and Cheshire, offering assessment and treatment.
What to Look For
Periods that are unusually heavy or last longer than a week, sometimes with clots or flooding.
A dull ache or sense of fullness in the lower abdomen, sometimes worse during your period.
Needing to urinate more often, or feeling you cannot fully empty your bladder, as fibroids press against it.
Constipation or a bloated feeling when fibroids press on the bowel, particularly with larger growths.
Difficulty conceiving or complications in pregnancy, depending on the size and position of the fibroids.
A persistent ache in the lower back or legs, caused by pressure from larger fibroids.
What Causes It
The exact cause of fibroids is not fully understood, but hormones and genetics are thought to play the biggest part in how they develop.
Oestrogen and progesterone, which regulate the menstrual cycle, appear to encourage fibroid growth, and levels fall after menopause.
Fibroids often run in families, and changes in genes that control womb muscle growth are thought to play a role.
Being overweight or of Black African or Caribbean descent are both linked to a higher likelihood of developing fibroids.
Fibroids tend to appear during the reproductive years, often from your thirties onwards, then shrink once periods stop at menopause.
Treatments Available
Treatment depends on your symptoms, the size and position of your fibroids, and whether you’re hoping to preserve your fertility, ranging from medication through to targeted surgery.
Hormonal options such as the contraceptive pill or a progestogen injection can reduce heavy bleeding; GnRH agonist injections can temporarily stop periods, while non-hormonal medicines like tranexamic acid ease flow without affecting hormones.
Myomectomy removes individual fibroids while leaving the womb in place, making it a common choice for women who want to preserve their fertility.
Uterine artery embolisation blocks the blood supply to a fibroid through a fine catheter, shrinking it without open surgery or a general anaesthetic.
A hysterectomy removes the womb entirely and is usually reserved for large fibroids that haven't responded to other treatments, with ovaries often left in place.
Meet Your Consultant
Mr Jonathan Broome is a consultant gynaecologist and urogynaecologist based in Manchester, with 26 years’ experience, including 16 years in full private practice. He was trained in medicine at the University of Birmingham before completing a fellowship in advanced endoscopic gynaecology at the Royal Hospital for Women in Sydney. He then built his reputation treating complex pelvic floor cases as a consultant at Royal Bolton Hospital, and now consults privately, managing fibroids at Spire Manchester and Spire Hale.
He founded The Pelvic Clinic to give women the time to be listened to, to offer an accurate diagnosis and a meaningful treatment plan individualised to each patient’s requirements, concerns and lifestyle goals.
In Our Patients’ Words
Verified reviews from patients seen by Mr Broome, shared through Doctify.
Real Patient Journeys
A snapshot of real patients that Mr Broome has treated across the range of conditions he specialises in.
A difficult labour left Alison with a uterine and vaginal wall prolapse. A keyhole sacrohysteropexy with Mr Broome lifted the…
Years of flooding periods and iron-deficiency anaemia caused by fibroids. A keyhole myomectomy with Mr Broome removed the…
Kate had been living with severe pelvic pain from endometriosis for over a decade. Laparoscopic excision surgery with Mr Broom…
After menopause, Kaye developed a bothersome vaginal vault prolapse that stopped her running and swimming. A…
Fibroids themselves are non-cancerous growths made of muscle and fibrous tissue. It’s extremely rare for a fibroid to be or become cancerous. That said, any new or changing symptoms should be properly assessed, which is why diagnosis by ultrasound, MRI, hysteroscopy, or laparoscopy is important.
Through an examination and pelvic ultrasound. MRI may be recommended if the ultrasound is unclear or more detailed information is needed for treatment or surgical planning.
In many cases, yes. Smaller fibroids or milder symptoms can often be managed with hormonal treatments such as the contraceptive pill, injections or implants, or with non-hormonal medication like tranexamic acid or ibuprofen to reduce bleeding and pain. Whether medication alone is suitable, or whether a procedure is needed, depends on the size and type of fibroid and how much it’s affecting you day to day.
Fibroids can affect fertility and pregnancy depending on their size, number, and position, particularly submucosal fibroids that grow into the womb cavity. Many women with fibroids do conceive and carry successfully, but if you’re trying to get pregnant or are already pregnant and have been diagnosed with fibroids, it’s worth discussing your specific situation with a specialist to understand what, if anything, needs doing.
Recovery time varies depending on the size and number of fibroids removed and the surgical approach used. A myomectomy can be performed by keyhole surgery or through a bikini-line incision, and Mr Broome will talk you through what to expect for your specific procedure, including realistic timeframes for returning to normal activities.
Not usually. Uterus-preserving options are always considered first. Hysterectomy is offered only if fibroids are severe, family is complete, and other treatments have not worked.
Most fibroids shrink and become symptomless after menopause because they need oestrogen to grow, and the body stops producing high levels of the hormones oestrogen and progesterone that feed their growth. Symptoms rarely appear for the first time after menopause.
New fibroids can develop after a myomectomy in around one in four women, particularly at a younger age. Regular review helps catch any recurrence early.
Yes. Most women can conceive and deliver safely after a myomectomy. Depending on how deep the fibroids went, a caesarean may be advised in a future pregnancy.
Self-pay and insured patients are usually seen within a week. We can arrange an ultrasound shortly after the first appointment.
Common Questions
Answers to the questions patients ask most often about fibroids, diagnosis, and treatment at The Pelvic Clinic.
