I suffered from multiple fibroids for over five years. They were causing pressure, very heavy bleeding, and affecting my bladder control. They were so big that my uterus was the size of a 14-16 week pregnancy. An MRI showed at least eleven fibroids. I knew I had to take action to remove them, so I made an appointment with my obgyn at the UCLA’s fibroid center to get a myomectomy. This surgery would have required a three day hospital stay, the use of pain killers and antibiotics to recover, 8-12 recovery period and no chance of having a normal shaped uterus intact afterwards. But I knew no other option.
Just five weeks before my scheduled surgery a friend told me about Accesa and Dr. Bruce Lee. Once she explained radio frequency ablation technique that Dr. Lee invented, I became very interested. She put me in touch with Dr. Lee and I immediately schedule an appointment with him. Within a few days my husband and I were in his office and he graciously and patiently spent two hours with us explaining his procedure and the advantages it has over traditional myomectomies and hysterectomies.
I learned that the Accesa procedure is outpatient. No pain killers or antibiotics are needed. Recovery time is just a matter of days. And best of all, my uterus would not become “chopped meat” because only one small pin prick incision into my uterus was necessary to heat and kill the fibroid tissue. The uterus stays intact, which is a plus for those wanting to try to conceive.
This less invasive and more holistic approach seemed like a better option than what I was facing with a myomectomy and I scheduled my surgery before I left his office that day.
Dr. Lee performed the RFA surgery on my fibroids three days after Christmas and the Accesa procedure went very well. Dr. Lee was able to identify and ablate 15 fibroids. During my surgery Dr. Lee also discovered a great deal of scar tissue around the bowel which he removed expertly, and that probably saved me from colon complications down the road (unrelated to fibroids). I joke with him that I actually got two surgeries for the price of one!
Recovery of the uterus was textbook! I took no pain-killers, no antibiotics. I had a total of two Tylenol afterwards. By the fourth day after surgery, I was at Disney Hall enjoying a New Year’s Eve concert.
As each month went by after my surgery I noticed that my stomach size significantly decreased. There was no more pressure in my belly or on my bladder. I didn’t feel like I had to urinate all the time. Post-surgery ultrasounds have showed that my uterus is down to half the size it was before the surgery, and is still decreasing. The VERY heavy periods I was having pre-surgery, that lasted 7-8 days with four days super heavy day where I had to use super plus sized tampons backed up by large pads have now decreased to normal periods that last 4-5 days with only one day of heavy flow where I have to use plus-sized tampons and no back up. The best part is that I have tons more energy, feel lighter, and more confident about how I look.
On top of all of this, Dr. Lee was a dream doctor! He always carefully explained every part of my treatment. Post-surgery he checked on me every day for a week to monitor my recovery, especially in light of the complications I experienced. Finding Dr. Lee was a dream come true. His expertise and passion for Accesa is unparalleled. His kindness, compassion, and care are a total gift! I would highly recommend Accesa and Dr. Lee to any woman who has fibroids of any shape, size, or location. You will not find a better surgeon or procedure than Accesa.
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