According to a doctor, 8 out of 10 women will experience some form of Polyps in their uterus so it is worthwhile understanding what is polyps.
If you don’t, you risk wasting time and effort in trying to conceive because some polyps can cause infertility or miscarriage.
Cells that overgrow in your body can turn into polyps or fibroids. Basically the cell went abnormal and decide to keep multiplying and are fed by blood vessels.
One of the area that polyps can grow in your body is in your uterus, on the lining.
The area where the uterus lining is located is called “Endometrium”. These polyps are like Skin Tags.
These polyps are usually noncancerous. The term for non-cancerous is “benign”. There are polyps that are precancerous or cancerous so early detection is important ( 2% of the patients).
Polyps can be a 1/4 inch to 1 inch (0.25 – 2.5cm) or even larger, like a poppy seed to size of ping pong ball.
Fertility and Polyps
Doctors are concerned when Polyps block or takes up the space on the lining and thus prevent embryo from implantation. Basically polyp takes up the area that the embryo is supposed to attaching to, and therefore it affects fertility. There are also many other reasons polyps affect infertility.
Polyps can also release its own chemicals. Polyp can also caused inflammatory response. Both of which prevents implantation or causes miscarriage.
Bleeding in between cycle, is a sign of polyp. Day 14 before your period.
Because there can be multi-factor infertility, removal polyps may only be one of the factors causing your infertility and does not automatically make you fertile.
However there are couples, who naturally conceived after removal of polyps.
Diagnosis of Polyps
3 Dimensional Ultrasound or
Saline Injection into womb and sonogram (ultrasound) (takes about 10 minutes and usually not painful) or
Hysteroscopy (the gold standard).
Polyp Removal Surgery “Polypectomy”
If your doctor decide that your polyp should be removed, and you decide to go ahead, you will go through a polypectomy.
Details – The doctor will put a special surgical “scissor” that goes in via your vagina into your uterus with a very high definition camera, to snip off the polyp. It is done with precision due to the advancement of technology such as use of high definiton hysteroscopic camera.
The polyp must be cut from the base because if it is cancer, it is normally at the base.
The procedure is about 10-30 mins. It is a day surgery. You can normally go home after but might need assistance.
You should recover normally make good recovery within 48 hours.
Polyp – Do nothing
Not all polyp requires removal. Speak to your doctor about it.
Possible Risk Factors
Obesity
Use of Tamoxifen for breast cancer
Hormone Replacement Therapy
Advanced Age (Pre-menopause)
High Blood Pressure
Videos on Polypectomy
A woman share her experience with Polyp Surgery
How is the surgery done? Here’s a video. Basically, high end camera and scissors goes into your womb and snip off the polyps and remove.
A surgical camera inside uterus, cutting up little polyps (warning, it is very confrontational and may be disturbing to some).
Doctor Explains Polyp