Uterine Fibroids Argumentative Essays Examples

Uterine fibroids are benign, smooth muscle growths that occur in the uterus. They are also referred to as leiomyoma and affect an estimated 50-80% of women at some point in their lives (Robinson). While the bulk of these women find that their fibroids are asymptomatic, a significant number of uterine fibroid cases lead to discomfort, pelvic pain, and sometimes heavy bleeding. When this occurs, affected women seek surgical procedures for the management or removal of these fibroids. The most popular course of action in this regard is the operation of a surgical hysterectomy or myomectomy. These minimally invasive procedures use electric morcellators to shred fibroids within the uterus. Although minimally invasive surgeries that use morcellator surgical devices for the removal of fibroids pose a risk of disseminating malignant cancerous cells in the uterus, they are effective because for most people, the associated benefits outweigh the risks.
Since morcellators were first cleared for gynecological and surgical use in 1995, they have acted as a convenient means through which minimally invasive procedures can be effected in the removal of uterine fibroids (Deardoff). Not only do these devices reduce the pain associated with the removal of uterine fibroids, but they also reduce the recovery time and related complications. In comparison with other fibroid-removal procedures such as open exposure surgical hysterectomies, morcellation procedures are easy to perform and save on significant costs for the patients choosing to have them performed (Robinson). In addition, other procedures that are relatively safe and effective are undermined by the narrow scope of fibroids that they can remove. While vaginal incisions are some of the safest and most cost-effective ways of removing uterine fibroids, for example, they cannot be performed in the case of enlarged uteruses or where large fibroids have been identified in the uterus. In case of the later, morcellation must be performed to break the fibroids tissues into small pieces that can then be removed with vaginal incisions. In this regard, the use of morcellators emerges as significantly useful in both morcellation procedures and procedures that employ alternative approaches. This fact underlines the importance of morcellators as essential tools in the removal of uterine fibroids.
Although minimally invasive surgical procedures are safe in the management of uterine fibroids, the use of morcellator devices can cause significant, negative effects if the potential fibroids that are targeted turn out to be uterine leiomyosarcoma or uterine cancer cells. In such a case, there is a significant risk that when invasive surgical procedures are performed on these potential fibroids, the cancer cells could spread throughout other parts of the woman’s abdomen. Cases relating to the adverse effects of misinformed morcellation procedures have not been rare. In 2013, the case of Martha Montalvo-Ariri dominated the news when a morcellation procedure performed on her precipitated the development of a rare form of cancer. Prior to the procedure, Martha had been diagnosed with leiomyosarcoma, a rare but aggressive form of uterine cancer that doctors had overlooked during the surgery. During her hysterectomy procedure, a doctor used a morcellator device that scattered cancerous tissue fragments in her pelvic area, subsequently causing an unprecedented spread in her disease (Deardorff). Ten days later, a prognosis revealed that her cancer had advanced. Following the incident, federal regulators recommended that the morcellation procedure should be suspended pending determination of its safety in relation to potentially cancerous tissues.
However, as Deardoff notes, when testing for uterine cancer is performed before a morcellation procedure is conducted, the safety of this procedure is usually assured. The risk of spreading cancerous tissue in the abdomen is precipitated when the procedure is performed before cancer tests have been done. In large, this because there is no reliable way of ascertaining that uterine fibroids are not malignant cancer cells. The U.S Food and Drug Administration has been concerned that sufficient tests are not being undertaken to ascertain the presence of cancer cells prior to the performance of the morcellation procedure, hence its move to suspend the procedure. However, as Deardoff asserts, under controlled circumstances, morcellation remains the safest bet for the removal of uterine fibroids. Until more effective and safer procedures than morcellation have been developed, women are better off undergoing these minimally invasive procedures than suffering the pain and discomfort associated with fibroids. In addition to testing for the presence of cancer cells before performing morcellation, the legitimacy of the procedure can also be increased by counselling patients so that they can make the surgical procedure by themselves. In such a case, complaints such as those made by Martha would become increasingly rare, and morcellation would get a chance to be seen for what it is – a practical and safe procedure.
In addition, the safety of morcellation procedures is increased when the procedure is performed under a protective bag. Using these bags, the progression of cancerous tumors in the uterus can be easily mitigated. Specimen extraction bags not only check for the possibility of cancerous cells before morcellation can be performed, but they also mitigate the spillage of cancer cells in the peritoneal cavity (Robinson). Where the presence of cancerous cells is ascertained, malignant tissues can safely be removed using an impermeable retrieval bag. The bag ensures that the cancer tissues are removed intact so that morcellation can be effected afterwards without the risk of spreading these malignant tissues. Even where doctors fail to effect the use of impermeable retrieval bags or follow other precautions, it is worth noting that cancerous tissues that pose as uterine fibroids are extremely rare. According to Robinson, these tissues only occur in five out of 100,000 women. These statistics undermine the potential risk that researchers have attached to the use of morcellators in the management of uterine fibroids.
In essence, uterine fibroids are some of the most common conditions that affect women’s productive health. Their removal is not only necessitated by the fact that they cause severe discomfort and abdominal pain for women, but also because they can precipitate the development of infertility. While minimally intrusive procedures for the removal of uterine fibroids such as the use of electric, surgical morcellators have traditionally been found to be effective, debate has recently been rife concerning the safety of these procedures. The overarching dilemma has been whether to effect morcellation and benefit numerous women, or to suspend its application to protect a few women who at risk of developing cancer because of the procedure. In large, the view that morcellation procedures are not safe is unfounded because there are mechanisms through which safety can be guaranteed. These mechanisms include checking for the presence of uterine cancer tissues before morcellation can be performed, as well as the use of impermeable retrieval bags in cases where these tissues are found. When these mechanisms are instituted, morcellation not only becomes a safe procedure for the removal of uterine fibroids, but also an easy and cost-effective one.

Works Cited

Deardoff, Julie. "Cancer risk drives debate over hysterectomy tool." Chicagotribune.com. 9 Jul.
2014. Web. 22 Mar. 2015. <http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2014-07-09/health/ct-met
Morcellation 20140709_1_uterine-fibroids-cancer-risk>.
Robinson, Sarah Salem. "Are Routine, Minimally Invasive Surgeries for Fibroids Safe? Print it."
Sarcomahelp.org. 1 Jan. 2014. Web. 22 Mar. 2015.
<http://sarcomahelp.org/articles/uterinemorcellation.html>.