Fertility
Which fibroids affect fertility, and when is myomectomy recommended?
The short answer
Submucosal fibroids and intramural fibroids that distort the uterine cavity are most consistently linked with fertility challenges. Myomectomy is most often recommended for cavity-distorting fibroids, or intramural fibroids causing significant symptoms that may affect reproductive plans.
Submucosal fibroids (those that grow into the uterine cavity) and intramural fibroids that distort the cavity are the types most consistently linked with fertility challenges. They can interfere with implantation and are more often associated with miscarriage risk and pregnancy complications than fibroids on the outside of the uterus.
Myomectomy is most often recommended when a fibroid distorts the cavity, or when intramural fibroids are causing significant symptoms and may be affecting reproductive plans, especially if you’re trying to conceive or preparing for IVF or other fertility treatment. Subserosal or pedunculated fibroids (on the outer surface of the uterus), by contrast, rarely affect fertility unless they’re very large or causing other problems. Our team can review your imaging, clarify whether the cavity is involved, and help you decide whether surgery is likely to improve your chances of a healthy pregnancy.
Where to go from here
Understand it, compare it with what you're feeling, then talk it through with us.
Step 1 · Understand
Understand the condition
Step 2 · Compare
Symptoms it can relate to
Step 3 · Speak with Us
Struggling with Fibroid Fertility Issues?
Our specialists understand how certain fibroids impact your chances of conceiving. We can guide you on whether myomectomy is the right step for your fertility journey.
Questions people ask next
All fertility questionsHow do I know if I'm a good candidate for myomectomy?
Myomectomy may be a good fit if fibroids cause heavy bleeding, pain or other symptoms and imaging shows they can be removed while preserving your uterus. Candidacy depends on fibroid size, number and location, your health, prior pelvic surgeries and pregnancy goals.
Can fibroids return after a myomectomy?
Yes, fibroids can return after a myomectomy, which removes those we can see and safely remove but does not stop new ones from forming. Whether they return varies from person to person and can be influenced by age, genetics, hormones, and how many were present.
Is a myomectomy the same as a hysterectomy?
No, they are different surgeries: a myomectomy removes uterine fibroids while keeping the uterus in place, so it can maintain the possibility of carrying a pregnancy. A hysterectomy removes the uterus, so pregnancy is no longer possible afterward.
