In a rare clinical success, surgeons at a Hyderabad hospital have removed 11 large uterine fibroids-weighing a total of 2.7 kilograms-from a 26-year-old woman. The case has caught the attention of the medical community because the team used advanced laparoscopic (keyhole) surgery for a mass of this size, where traditional open surgery is usually the only option.
The patient arrived with a severely distended abdomen, her uterus had expanded to a size comparable to an eight-month pregnancy. Scans revealed a complex cluster of growths, including three dominant fibroids the size of muskmelons and eight others, roughly the size of sweet limes, embedded throughout the uterine wall.
Uterine fibroids are non-cancerous growths that can cause heavy bleeding, chronic pelvic pain, and infertility. In cases involving this much volume and weight, surgeons typically perform a laparotomy (open surgery) to ensure they can control bleeding. However, for a young patient, open surgery carries a higher risk of extensive scarring, which can impact future reproductive health.
Dr Manasa Badveli, the lead surgeon at Rainbow Hospital, emphasised that the primary goal was preserving the patient's fertility. "Given the patient's age and the extreme distortion of the uterus, the technical demand was exceptionally high," the surgical team noted.
The procedure used high-resolution MRI mapping to navigate the surgical field. By choosing the laparoscopic approach, the team removed all 11 masses through small "keyhole" incisions. This method significantly reduces the risk of post-operative adhesions-scar tissue that can interfere with a woman's ability to conceive.
While both laparoscopic and traditional surgeries to remove these growths are called a "myomectomy," the choice of method drastically changes the recovery process.
Medical experts note that while uterine fibroids are common, cases this large are often the result of a delayed diagnosis. This successful intervention highlights how minimally invasive surgery is evolving to handle "mega-fibroids" that were previously considered impossible to remove without open-abdominal procedures.
The patient has recovered well and has been discharged. Doctors confirmed her uterine integrity was fully maintained, allowing her the opportunity for future childbearing.
