31/03/2026
Karen
says:
November 2, 2017 at 12:13 am
I recently had a minimally invasive surgery called Acessa, to remove a large fibroid. It’s is a newer alternative to hysterectomy. My regular OB offered to perform a hysterectomy because she did not have the qualifications or advanced training to offer alternative surgeries. The expert fibroid surgeon I saw for a second opinion gave me three choices. While I was contemplating each, he tried to discourage me from Acessa, the surgery that would keep my female organs intact and just remove the fibroid with heat. He tried to get me to opt for the more invasive surgery when it was not clinically necessary. He said “if I was your family.. I would have you get the partial hysterectomy” even after my cancer biopsy was negative and there is no history of ovarian cancer in my family.
The Acessa worked successfully and I didn’t hesitate to tell him to his face the hysterectomy he recommended was not necessary afterwards. He was just looking for a larger paycheck at the end of the week. I wonder how many of his patients were told the same line and elected the surgery? Unfortunately, situations like these remind me of what my Orthomolecular doctor warned me of “Doctors are dangerous.”
Reply
WS
says:
November 2, 2017 at 1:20 pm
Karen, I’m so glad you avoided hysterectomy and the Acessa ablation was successful. Is Acessa done by a radiologist or gynecologist? Do you know for a fact (based on imaging) that the fibroid has shrunk or was obliterated? Or are you basing success on reduced bleeding? I talked to a gynecologist at an event I attended and she said they cannot get insurance authorization for some of the procedures to treat fibroids because they consider them experimental. But some of these procedures have been around for quite awhile. I have to wonder if the ACOG’s lobbying efforts have kept these procedures under utilized so they can continue their lucrative overuse of hysterectomies.
Reply
Karen
says:
November 4, 2017 at 5:26 pm
Acessa was through a gynecologist, anyone interested can find an Acessa doctor through the Acessa website, the founder is Dr. Bruce Lee in LA. BCBS covered my Acessa, but not all states cover the procedure, CA does not covers it, but considering the success I would have paid out of pocket for it. My volume was greatly reduced to normal and remeasured through ultrasound, however this procedure only shrinks the fibroid. I did not have the bleeding problem, my fibroid was blocking my re**um. The overall success is skill dependent on doctor. The doctor evaluates risk factors including age, size of fibroid, location, and cancer history, there is always a risk of regrowth. Most OB’s do not have minimally invasive training and have a large enough patient load that will accept traditional methods that they’re doctors have been trained in medical school. Had I not gone on-line and researched the topic of fibroids, I would have had the hysterectomy. Until treatments like Acessa are taught in medical schools it will not be mainstream and be considered an “alternative”.
Reply
WS
says:
November 5, 2017 at 2:29 pm
Thank you for sharing this information. Gynecology training is severely lacking. Residents must do at least 70 hysterectomies – http://www.acgme.org/.../220_Ob_Gyn%20Minimum_Numbers.... Yet there are no miminum requirements for surgical removal of fibroids (myomectomy) nor any of the “ablative” fibroid procedures. Nor are there any requirements for removal of ovarian cysts (cystectomy). Many women lose ovaries unnecessarily when all that should be removed are the cysts. Removal of any part of the “reproductive” system (even one o***y) has been shown to increase risks for a number of health problems. In no other specialty are organs removed unnecessarily at such high rates.
