What You Should Know: Though this treatment does shrink tumors, Goldstein says it is unsafe to use for longer than nine months, after which time the fibroids generally return. However, he says it can be the treatment of choice for women who are very close to menopause.

Try these tips:

1. Avoid added salt.
2. Limit high-sodium processed and packaged foods.
3. Check your blood pressure daily with a home monitor.
4. Exercise regularly.
5. Lose weight, especially around the waist.
6. Avoid or limit alcohol.
7. Increase potassium by eating a majority of plants at each meal.

Broad ligament fibroids are rare and often pose clinical diagnostic difficulties. We report a case of broad ligament fibroid in a woman after hysterectomy. The lady presented to us with continuous lower abdominal pain of seven months duration.

Hysterectomy is a permanent solution for fibroids, and is an option if other treatments have not worked or are not appropriate. A woman cannot become pregnant after having a hysterectomy. If the ovaries are removed along with the uterus, hysterectomy causes immediate menopause.

Certain procedures can destroy uterine fibroids without actually removing them through surgery. They include: Uterine artery embolization. Small particles (embolic agents) are injected into the arteries supplying the uterus, cutting off blood flow to fibroids, causing them to shrink and die.

Hysterectomies also help to reduce chronic pain and heavy bleeding caused by fibroids, endometriosis, and other conditions. When these symptoms resolve after surgery, you might find that you have a lot more energy for physical activity, potentially leading to weight loss.

A hysterectomy may be recommended if you have large fibroids or severe bleeding and you do not want to have any more children.

If a woman has severe symptoms, and if the fibroids are in the muscle or outside of the uterus, surgery may be the best option. In that case, robotic-assisted laparoscopic myomectomy is more common. This is a minimally invasive procedure that involves making four to five small incisions in the abdomen.

A myomectomy can be performed through an open incision, or in some cases, laparoscopically. Most experts believe that about 9-10 centimeters (about 4 inches) diameter is the largest size fibroid that should be removed laparoscopically.

A large fibroid is one that is 10 cm or more in diameter. The largest fibroids can range from the size of a grapefruit to the size of a watermelon.