Worcester, Mass. – Saint Vincent Hospital is the first hospital in Central MA to perform the Acessa® procedure, a minimally invasive alternative treatment for women suffering from symptomatic uterine fibroids. Dr. Apurva Shah completed two highly advanced Acessa procedures to treat fibroids last week at Saint Vincent Hospital.

Fibroids are benign, non-cancerous tumors in a woman’s uterus that often appear during childbearing years. While some fibroids are asymptomatic, others can be very painful and cause heavy bleeding, pressure on the bladder or rectum, a distended abdomen, and a lack of energy stemming from anemia.

The Acessa procedure utilizes a technology called radiofrequency ablation and treats each fibroid by applying energy through a small needle array. It is designed so that the surrounding normal uterine tissue should not be damaged or otherwise affected. Over time, the treated fibroid tissue shrinks and may become completely reabsorbed by the body. The Acessa procedure is a laparoscopic surgery performed under general anesthesia, with several small abdominal incisions for a camera, ultrasound, and Acessa handpiece. There is no cutting, suturing or removal of the uterus itself.

“Women are looking for less invasive alternative treatment options than the traditional offerings, and we are excited to be among the first major health systems to bring this leading-edge technology to our patients,” added Dr. Michele Sinopoli, MD, MBA, FACOG, Chief of OB/GYN for Saint Vincent Hospital.

According to the National Library of Medicine, 70-80 percent of women in the U.S. will develop fibroids by age 50, and the prevalence is even higher among African American women. Fibroids may range in size from microscopic to larger than a grapefruit, and the rate at which they grow is unpredictable. A woman may have more than one fibroid at a time.

Saint Vincent Hospital offers comprehensive services designed to care for women throughout every stage in life and is dedicated to providing valuable resources and care for all women in the community. For more information about the hospital’s gynecological services, visit Women’s Health Services at Saint Vincent Hospital.