Prisma Health physician performs innovative treatment for fibroids

Procedure offers reduced recovery time for women
 
COLUMBIA, SC—Palmetto Health-USC Medical Group OB/GYN Albert Odom, MD, Parkridge OB/GYN, became the first physician in South Carolina to perform an innovative procedure for diagnosing and treating uterine fibroids on March 28. Odom successfully completed the Acessa ProVu procedure on the Prisma Health Baptist Parkridge campus.

Odom completed special training to perform the procedure and is the only physician in South Carolina and North Carolina currently certified to perform it. Prisma Health Baptist Parkridge campus currently is the only location in the Carolinas that offers this treatment option.

The minimally invasive, outpatient procedure cleared by the FDA allows physicians to effectively identify, target and treat fibroids of nearly any size without cutting or suturing. The procedure involves two small incisions and generally requires a three-to-five-day recovery period, compared to the three to six weeks recovery for more traditional surgical treatment options.

“The main reason I’m doing this is because it offers a better outcome for my patients,” Odom said. “A woman who does not want to have a hysterectomy now has another option for a uterine-sparing procedure.”

The Acessa ProVu uses laparoscopic ultrasound to visualize the area of treatment. This allows the physician to more precisely diagnose fibroids and guide the treatment that involves heating fibroids to a point that the body can absorb them over time, avoiding surgical removal.

While noncancerous, fibroids tumors (or myomas) grow inside the uterus and vary in size. Symptoms include heavy periods, irregular bleeding between periods, constipation, painful intercourse, frequent urination, abdominal bloating and lower back pain. Along with the standard symptoms, untreated fibroids can impede normal childbirth and require a caesarean delivery – or C-section. They also can increase the risk of miscarriage.

Odom added, “We want to be able to give women the newest advances.”

The Acessa procedure has been performed more than 3,000 times nationwide, and most women with fibroids are eligible candidates for this type of treatment approach.

For more information or appointments, call Parkridge OB/GYN at 803-907-7300.