Fibroids Treatment in Gurgaon: Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment Options — By Dr. Chetna Jain

Uterine fibroids are one of the most common benign conditions I diagnose and treat at my clinic in Gurgaon — and one of the most misunderstood. Every week, women arrive having been told by someone that their fibroids will cause cancer, that they must have a hysterectomy, that they cannot conceive, or conversely, that their fibroids are nothing to worry about when in fact they are causing significant, treatable symptoms. None of these extremes is accurate — and every woman with fibroids deserves a clear, evidence-based explanation of exactly what she is dealing with, what her options are, and what is right for her specifically.

I am Dr. Chetna Jain, a senior gynaecologist and fibroid specialist in Gurgaon, and today I want to give you exactly that — a comprehensive, fact-backed guide to uterine fibroids: what they are, what symptoms they cause, how they are diagnosed, and the full range of treatment options available to women in Gurgaon in 2026.

What Are Uterine Fibroids?

Uterine fibroids — also called leiomyomas or myomas — are benign (non-cancerous) growths that develop from the smooth muscle tissue of the uterus. They are the most common benign tumours of the female reproductive tract, affecting an estimated 20 to 80 percent of women by the age of 50, with higher rates in women of South Asian origin. Despite being extraordinarily common, fibroids remain significantly under-diagnosed in India — in part because many women normalise the heavy bleeding and pelvic pressure they cause as simply part of being a woman.

Fibroids can develop as a single growth or in multiples, range in size from a few millimetres to masses as large as a full-term pregnancy, and can occur in different locations within and around the uterus — each of which carries distinct clinical implications. Critically, uterine fibroids are almost never cancerous. Malignant transformation of a fibroid — leiomyosarcoma — is extremely rare, occurring in fewer than 1 in 1,000 cases, and cannot be distinguished from a benign fibroid on imaging alone. A fibroid diagnosis is not a cancer diagnosis.

Types of Uterine Fibroids — Location Determines Symptoms

The clinical impact of a fibroid is determined primarily by where it is located, not simply how large it is. The three main types are:

• Submucosal fibroids: Located directly beneath the endometrium (uterine lining) and projecting into the uterine cavity. Even small submucosal fibroids — sometimes only 1 to 2 centimetres — can cause disproportionately severe symptoms including very heavy and prolonged periods, significant cramping, inter-menstrual bleeding, and the greatest impact on fertility and implantation. These are the most symptomatic type and are best treated with hysteroscopic resection — a minimally invasive procedure performed through the cervix.

• Intramural fibroids: The most common type, developing within the muscular wall of the uterus. Larger intramural fibroids enlarge the uterus overall, causing heavy periods, pelvic pressure, a visible lower abdominal swelling, urinary frequency or urgency from bladder compression, and constipation from rectal pressure. They may also impair fertility by distorting the uterine cavity or impairing implantation.

• Subserosal fibroids: Developing on the outer surface of the uterus and projecting outward. They tend to cause pelvic pressure, heaviness, back pain, and urinary symptoms rather than heavy bleeding — and can grow very large before being noticed. Pedunculated subserosal fibroids — those attached to the uterus by a narrow stalk — carry a risk of torsion (twisting), causing sudden severe pelvic pain requiring urgent surgical intervention.

Fibroid Symptoms: What Women in Gurgaon Actually Experience

Approximately 50 percent of women with uterine fibroids have no symptoms at all — their fibroids are discovered incidentally on a scan performed for another reason. When fibroids do cause symptoms, the most common presentations I see in my clinic in Gurgaon include:

• Heavy menstrual bleeding (menorrhagia): The most common and most debilitating fibroid symptom. Soaking through pads hourly, passing large blood clots, and periods lasting 7 to 10 days or longer are typical presentations. Chronic heavy bleeding leads to iron-deficiency anaemia — affecting energy, concentration, immune function, and quality of life — often for years before the fibroid responsible is identified.

• Pelvic pressure and heaviness: A constant feeling of fullness, pressure, or weight in the lower abdomen — particularly with larger fibroids — that does not resolve between periods.

• Painful periods (dysmenorrhoea): Fibroids — particularly submucosal and large intramural fibroids — cause uterine cramping as the uterus attempts to contract against the distortion created by the growth.

• Urinary symptoms: Urinary frequency, urgency, or difficulty emptying the bladder fully — caused by a fibroid-enlarged uterus pressing against the bladder anteriorly.

• Constipation and bloating: Posterior fibroids pressing on the rectum impair normal bowel function, causing constipation, straining, and a persistent sensation of bloating.

• Visible abdominal enlargement: Large fibroids cause the uterus to expand beyond the pelvis, producing a visible lower abdominal swelling that is sometimes mistaken for pregnancy or weight gain.

• Difficulty conceiving or recurrent miscarriage: Submucosal fibroids in particular disrupt endometrial receptivity and can cause implantation failure or early pregnancy loss. Fibroids are found in approximately 5 to 10 percent of women investigated for infertility.

What Causes Fibroids? Risk Factors Every Woman Should Know

The exact cause of uterine fibroids remains incompletely understood, but oestrogen and progesterone are known to stimulate fibroid growth — which is why fibroids almost exclusively develop during the reproductive years, often grow during pregnancy when oestrogen is high, and typically shrink after menopause when oestrogen falls. Key risk factors include:

• Family history: A first-degree relative with fibroids more than doubles your own risk — genetics plays a significant role in fibroid susceptibility.

• Nulliparity: Women who have never been pregnant have a higher rate of fibroid development than those who have carried pregnancies to term.

• Obesity: Adipose tissue produces oestrogen; excess body fat raises oestrogen levels and increases fibroid growth stimulus.

• Diet high in red meat and low in green vegetables and fruit: Epidemiological studies consistently link higher red meat consumption with elevated fibroid risk, while a diet rich in green vegetables is associated with reduced risk.

• Vitamin D deficiency: Low Vitamin D levels — near-universal in urban India — are independently associated with higher fibroid prevalence and more aggressive fibroid growth.

Fibroid Diagnosis in Gurgaon — What Investigations Are Needed

At my clinic in Gurgaon, the standard workup for a woman with suspected or confirmed fibroids includes:

• Pelvic and transvaginal ultrasound: The first-line investigation. Ultrasound identifies the number, size, location, and type of fibroids with high accuracy and guides treatment planning. It also assesses the endometrial lining and ovaries.

• Saline infusion sonography (SIS) or hysteroscopy: When submucosal fibroids or endometrial pathology is suspected, instilling saline into the uterine cavity during ultrasound (SIS) or direct visualisation through the cervix (hysteroscopy) provides a clearer picture of the uterine cavity and confirms whether fibroids are distorting it.

• MRI pelvis: Recommended for large or multiple fibroids, for surgical planning, to assess fibroid vascularity and degeneration, and to distinguish fibroids from adenomyosis — which can coexist and requires different management.

• Blood tests: Full blood count to quantify anaemia from heavy bleeding; iron studies; thyroid function (thyroid disorders can exacerbate fibroid-related heavy bleeding); and in selected cases, CA-125 to assess for concurrent ovarian pathology.

Fibroid Treatment in Gurgaon — A Complete Guide to All Options

Fibroid treatment in Gurgaon is not one-size-fits-all. The right approach depends on the number, size, and location of fibroids; the severity of symptoms; whether fertility is a priority; the woman's age; and her personal preferences. Here is a comprehensive overview of all available options.

1. Watchful Waiting — When Treatment Is Not Immediately Needed

Fibroids that are small, asymptomatic, and not affecting fertility do not require immediate intervention. In women approaching menopause — when fibroids typically shrink naturally as oestrogen levels fall — a watch and wait approach with regular ultrasound monitoring every 6 to 12 months is often the most appropriate management. I always explain to my patients that monitoring is an active clinical decision, not an absence of care.

2. Medical Management — Controlling Symptoms Without Surgery

Several medical options effectively control fibroid-related symptoms, though none permanently eliminates existing fibroids. The levonorgestrel intrauterine system (hormonal IUD / Mirena) dramatically reduces menstrual bleeding and cramps and is particularly effective for women with heavy periods due to small to moderate intramural or subserosal fibroids who wish to preserve their uterus. Combined oral contraceptive pills and progestogens reduce menstrual flow and pain. Tranexamic acid — a non-hormonal anti-fibrinolytic agent — significantly reduces heavy menstrual bleeding without affecting ovulation, making it suitable for women actively trying to conceive. GnRH agonists such as leuprorelin or goserelin induce a temporary menopausal state that shrinks fibroids by up to 30 to 50 percent — used for 3 to 6 months pre-operatively to reduce fibroid size before surgery or to correct anaemia, but not as a long-term standalone treatment due to bone density effects. The selective progesterone receptor modulator ulipristal acetate has been used for fibroid management in some settings, though its availability in India remains limited.

3. Hysteroscopic Myomectomy — For Submucosal Fibroids

Hysteroscopic myomectomy is the gold standard treatment for submucosal fibroids — those projecting into the uterine cavity. A thin telescope (hysteroscope) is passed through the cervix into the uterine cavity and the fibroid is shaved away using a resectoscope or morcellator. It requires no external incisions, involves minimal recovery time (most women return home the same day), and provides excellent relief of heavy bleeding and cramping. It also significantly improves fertility outcomes in women with submucosal fibroids affecting the uterine cavity.

4. Laparoscopic Myomectomy — Minimally Invasive Fibroid Removal

Laparoscopic myomectomy is the preferred surgical approach for intramural and subserosal fibroids in women who wish to preserve their uterus and fertility. Using keyhole incisions and a camera, fibroids are surgically removed from the uterine wall while leaving the uterus intact. It offers all the advantages of minimally invasive surgery — smaller incisions, less blood loss, significantly faster recovery than open surgery, minimal scarring, and reduced postoperative pain — while providing definitive fibroid removal. I perform laparoscopic myomectomy at my clinic in Gurgaon and it is the approach I recommend for most women with symptomatic intramural or subserosal fibroids who have not completed their families.

5. Open (Abdominal) Myomectomy — For Very Large or Numerous Fibroids

For women with very large fibroids (typically greater than 10 to 12 centimetres), a very high number of fibroids, or fibroids in surgically challenging locations, open abdominal myomectomy — performed through a transverse (bikini line) incision — may be the safest surgical approach. While recovery is longer than with laparoscopic surgery, it allows direct palpation of the uterus to identify and remove all fibroids comprehensively and permits safe repair of the uterine wall to optimise fertility outcomes.

6. Uterine Artery Embolisation (UAE)

UAE is a non-surgical, radiological procedure in which tiny particles are injected into the arteries supplying the fibroids, blocking their blood supply and causing them to shrink and die. It is performed by an interventional radiologist, requires no surgical incision, and reduces fibroid volume by approximately 50 to 60 percent with good symptom relief in most women. It is generally not recommended for women who wish to conceive as its effects on uterine blood supply may impair future fertility. In Gurgaon, UAE is available at select centres and is discussed as an option for women who wish to avoid surgery and have completed their families.

7. Hysterectomy — Definitive, Permanent Solution

Hysterectomy — surgical removal of the uterus — is the only permanently curative treatment for fibroids, as it eliminates the possibility of fibroid recurrence. It is appropriate for women who have completed their families, have severe or multiple fibroids causing significant symptoms, or have failed other treatments. Modern hysterectomy is frequently performed laparoscopically or through the vagina — both minimally invasive approaches with good recovery profiles. I always present hysterectomy as one option among several, not as a default recommendation, and I respect each woman's fertility priorities absolutely in deciding the right approach.

Fibroids and Fertility — Can You Conceive with Fibroids?

The majority of women with fibroids conceive without difficulty and carry pregnancies to term without complications. The impact of fibroids on fertility depends primarily on location. Submucosal fibroids — those distorting the uterine cavity — have the most significant negative effect on implantation and pregnancy maintenance and are generally recommended for removal before fertility treatment. Large intramural fibroids distorting the cavity also warrant consideration for myomectomy prior to IVF. Subserosal fibroids that do not impinge on the cavity have a minimal direct impact on fertility.

During pregnancy, fibroids can grow due to the high oestrogen environment, potentially causing pain (particularly red degeneration — a form of infarction within the fibroid), an increased risk of malpresentation, preterm labour, and in some cases, the need for caesarean delivery. Close obstetric monitoring of fibroid pregnancies is important, and I provide this as part of my antenatal care in Gurgaon.

Who I Treat for Fibroids in Gurgaon — Different Women, Different Plans

There is the 29-year-old from Palam Vihar, trying to conceive, who had a submucosal fibroid discovered on a routine fertility scan — treated definitively with hysteroscopic resection, and who conceived naturally six months later. There is the 38-year-old professional with multiple intramural fibroids and severe anaemia from heavy periods, who had laparoscopic myomectomy followed by iron therapy, and who returned to work within two weeks of her procedure. There is the 48-year-old approaching menopause with large symptomatic fibroids who chose medical management with the understanding that her oestrogen would soon fall naturally, bringing her fibroids with it — avoiding surgery entirely. Each of these women had uterine fibroids. Not one of them needed the same plan.

Frequently Asked Questions — Fibroids Treatment in Gurgaon

Q: Do fibroids always need treatment?

No. Fibroids that are small, asymptomatic, and not affecting fertility do not require treatment — only monitoring. The decision to treat is driven by symptoms, fertility impact, and the woman's own priorities — not by the presence of fibroids alone. Many women live their entire reproductive lives with fibroids that never cause a problem.

Q: Will fibroids come back after myomectomy?

Myomectomy removes existing fibroids but does not prevent new ones from forming, as the underlying hormonal environment that promotes fibroid growth remains. Recurrence rates are approximately 20 to 30 percent at 5 years, and around 10 percent of women who have had a myomectomy will eventually require further intervention. This is discussed honestly with every patient before surgery so that expectations are accurate and realistic.

Q: Can fibroids become cancerous?

Malignant transformation of a uterine fibroid into a leiomyosarcoma is exceptionally rare — occurring in fewer than 1 in 1,000 cases. A diagnosis of uterine fibroids is not a cancer risk that warrants urgent surgery for that reason alone. Certain ultrasound features — rapid growth, unusual vascularity, necrotic areas — may prompt further investigation, and these are assessed carefully at every follow-up appointment.

Q: Can diet reduce fibroid growth?

Dietary factors genuinely influence fibroid risk and growth. A diet high in green vegetables, fruit, and whole grains is associated with reduced fibroid risk. Reducing red meat intake, maintaining a healthy weight, correcting Vitamin D deficiency, and limiting alcohol are all evidence-based lifestyle measures that support fibroid management. Diet alone will not shrink established fibroids significantly, but it is a meaningful supportive component of overall management.

Book Your Fibroid Consultation with Dr. Chetna Jain in Gurgaon

Whether you have just been told you have fibroids, have been managing fibroid symptoms for years without satisfactory treatment, or are concerned about your fertility — I am here to give you the thorough, personalised assessment and management plan that your situation requires. At my clinic in Gurgaon, serving women from Palam Vihar, DLF, South City, Sector 22, Sector 23, and all of NCR, I offer comprehensive fibroid evaluation, medical and surgical treatment, and fertility-preserving care for every stage of a woman's reproductive life.

Fibroids are common. Suffering from them without the right care is not inevitable. Book your appointment today.

— Dr. Chetna Jain | Senior Gynaecologist & Fibroid Specialist | Gurgaon, Haryana