US woman keeps fertility after surgeons remove 656 fibroids

A 35-year-old American woman who endured severe menstrual pain for more than two decades and was advised by doctors at home to have her uterus removed has successfully undergone fertility-preserving surgery in Shenzhen, which removed 656 fibroids, according to media reports.

Identified as Anna (pseudonym), the patient began suffering from heavy menstruation, severe cramps, dizziness, fatigue and frequent urination at age 12. She was diagnosed with multiple uterine growths in 2018 and underwent myomectomy in the U.S., but suffered life-threatening intra- and post-operative bleeding requiring multiple blood transfusions.

Shenzhen doctors perform surgery on Anna.

Despite that surgery, her fibroids returned aggressively. Last year, she collapsed from excessive blood loss and needed emergency transfusion. She was later diagnosed with diffuse uterine leiomyomatosis, a severe condition where many non-cancerous growths spread throughout the wall of her uterus. This rare form of uterine fibroids causes menorrhagia, secondary anemia, and infertility.

Unlike ordinary multiple uterine fibroids, which have a complete capsule and clear boundaries, the fibroids of this condition often lack a well-defined capsule. Like sand grains, the fibroid nodules of varying sizes interweave with the normal muscle layer, posing a major challenge for surgical treatment.

Doctors in the U.S. told Anna her only options were to live with the condition or undergo a total hysterectomy. Unmarried and childless, she refused to give up her fertility.

On the advice of a friend from Fujian Province, Anna traveled to China. Doctors at Fujian Maternity and Child Health Hospital treated her severe anemia before referring her to Professor Wu Ruifang’s team at Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, which specializes in fertility-sparing surgery for diffuse uterine fibroids.

The hospital’s obstetrics and gynecology center is one of the earliest in China to perform uterus-preserving surgery for diffuse fibromatosis.

After 15 years of research, Wu’s team developed the PUSH (Protection of Uterine Structures for Healing) technique, which removes tumors while protecting uterine anatomy and fertility.

Nearly 600 patients from China and abroad have received the surgery. Average pain scores dropped from 9.5 to 0.9, and all of them saw reduced heavy bleeding. Among those seeking pregnancy, 60% have given birth to healthy babies.

Anna’s case was extremely complex: She weighed 98 kilos with a 128cm hip circumference, limiting surgical visibility; her uterus was enlarged to the size of a four-month pregnancy; fibroids ranged from over 10cm to nearly invisible micro-lesions; and previous surgery left severe abdominal adhesions.

Surgeons carefully dissected adhesions and meticulously removed tumors layer by layer from the fundus to the cervix. The operation successfully removed 656 fibroids, not including additional small nodules embedded within larger ones.

Anna recovered well and was discharged on March 17. “I regret not coming here sooner,” she said. 

Keeping her uterus and the possibility of becoming a mom, Anna called the treatment a “second life” thanks to the skill and care of Shenzhen’s medical team.