Bozoma Saint John is a well-known business executive and a member of the cast of “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.” She recently shared her personal experience with uterine fibroids during an interview with People. Bozoma was like many women with uterine fibroids that do not experience severe symptoms, but she knew that her condition could interfere with her fertility and could even cause complications if she were to become pregnant.
About Fibroids
If you are unfamiliar with these fibroids, they are noncancerous growths that develop in and on the uterus and can cause several chronic symptoms, including heavy bleeding, anemia, pelvic pain, fertility challenges, and more.
Uterine fibroids mostly affect women in their 30s and 40s and are more prevalent in Black women. No one knows what causes fibroids to develop, but research has identified some conditions that appear to increase the likelihood of developing them.
Statistics tell us that around 75% of all women will experience fibroids sometime during their lifetime, and like Bozoma, many do not experience significant discomfort, but these growths can still sometimes cause reproductive complications and interfere with conception and implantation, cause blockages in the fallopian tubes, and lead to pregnancy loss.
Bozoma Chose To Be Proactive Against Fibroids
Ms. Saint John considered these risks and chose to have her fibroids removed before they led to more serious consequences. She shared that she and her boyfriend, Keely Watson, had been discussing having children in the future, and she didn’t want the fibroids to negatively impact her reproductive health. She chose to undergo myomectomy surgery to remove 12 fibroids, the largest being about the size of a grapefruit.
She is not the only “Real Housewives” celebrity that has had dealings with these unpleasant growths; both Bethenny Frankel, from “The Real Housewives of New York,” and Cynthia Bailey from “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” have shared stories about their experiences with fibroids. You may recall Dr. Lipman was Cynthia’s doctor and performed UFE on her which she documented on the show. She was incredibly brave to share her story and has helped numerous women with their fibroid struggle.
Real Fibroids Affect “Real Housewives”
Bethenny spoke to People about her struggle with fibroids, and unlike Bozoma, she experienced severe symptoms, including extreme fatigue, an enlarged uterus, debilitating pelvic pain, and heavy bleeding that frequently sent her to the emergency room and caused severe anemia. She strongly believes that fibroids caused her to have a miscarriage, and she was surprised when she discovered how common they are and that no one really talks about them.
In an interview with People, Cynthia Bailey shared that she felt like a disaster, and the fibroid symptoms she experienced put her in a dark place that affected her quality of life. When she went to her OB/GYN for help, she was told that she needed hysterectomy surgery to remove her uterus. Not willing to accept that as her only option, she began to research and found Dr. John Lipman and the Atlanta Fibroid Center, where she learned about a non-surgical treatment for fibroids called uterine fibroid embolization (UFE).
We are not sure if Ms. Saint John was provided any information about UFE before she made her decision to undergo surgery, and a myomectomy may have been presented to her as the only preventative measure to safeguard her fertility. Many women with fibroids are only given the surgical options: myomectomy and hysterectomy. They are never told about the nonsurgical UFE option which every woman suffering with fibroids is entitled to know about.
Symptoms That Chronically Disrupt Your Life Are Not Normal
Many women do not realize that the symptoms they are experiencing are not normal and could be related to fibroids, so they often go undiagnosed for years, and they suffer in silence. Thanks to women like Bozoma, Bethenny, and Cynthia, who are willing to share their stories, more women are learning about fibroids, the symptoms they can cause, and encouraging them to seek treatment earlier. This reminds us that just because a woman has been suffering with a symptom (ex. heavy bleeding) for a long time does not make it normal.
Surgery Is Not The Only Treatment For Fibroids
Uterine fibroid embolization (UFE) has been around for decades, but many women are still unaware of this non-surgical treatment option for fibroids. You may be asking yourself why UFE is not offered as an option to every woman who is facing a surgical removal of fibroids, and the answer is quite simple: UFE is not performed by an OB/GYN, they are the surgeons who perform myomectomies and hysterectomies.
Fibroids Eliminated By Dr. John Lipman
UFE is done by an interventional radiologist who has had specialized training in the procedure. Dr. John Lipman at the Atlanta Fibroid Center is the world’s most experienced and leading expert in uterine fibroid embolization (UFE). His expertise stems from his training at Georgetown, Harvard, and Yale and the more than 10,000 UFE procedures he has performed. Dr. Lipman has spent his career dedicated to helping women with fibroids get relief from their fibroid symptoms without suffering sterilization or the side effects of surgery or complications related to the removal of the uterus.
He has made numerous contributions to the field of women’s reproductive health, both in donations and in medical expertise. These contributions focus on continuing advancement and awareness of the UFE treatment for fibroids and adenomyosis, including a grant focused on research focused on fibroids and adenomyosis.
UFE Is Safe, Effective, And Does Not Require Surgery
UFE is 90% effective in treating all of the fibroid symptoms. It treats all the fibroids that are present, even if they are deeply embedded in the uterine walls, which is something a myomectomy often is unable to do. In fact, many women must undergo another procedure within 5 years because the fibroids that the surgeon left behind after the first myomectomy have grown over those five years resulting in a return of her fibroid symptoms. Because UFE knocks out ALL of the fibroids, the recurrence of symptoms after UFE is much lower than myomectomy.
UFE does not require the extended recovery times needed after surgery, and your uterus stays intact. There is not as much public knowledge of the UFE procedure as there should be, and some of what is available is outdated or incorrect. Many women who have had the UFE procedure to eliminate their fibroids have gone on to become mothers, and Dr. Lipman has a wall full of baby pictures and notes from these women expressing their gratitude for giving them the help they needed.
UFE Is An Option For Fibroid Treatment Without Surgery
While we are unsure of whether Bozoma St. John or Bethenny Frankel were provided with the information about uterine fibroid embolization or whether a myomectomy was the only option they were given, we do know for certain that Cynthia Bailey was only presented with a hysterectomy as a treatment option, and she did her own research and luckily learned about Dr. John Lipman and UFE.
If you or someone you know is facing surgery due to uterine fibroids, contact the Atlanta Fibroid Center today and set up a consultation to learn more about UFE. This 45-minute procedure may be all you need to significantly enhance your quality of life without sacrificing your uterus or your future fertility. Make a virtual or in-person appointment today and live fibroid-free!
