Feature
The fibroid puzzle
Finding the final pieces of the fibroid fix with John Lipman, MD, FSIR By Hope Racine
J
ohn Lipman, MD, FSIR, is determined to crack the fibroid puzzle.
Uterine fibroids, a specific type of benign tumor that occurs in the cells of the uterus, affects 70% of white women and 80% of Black women by the time they are 50 years old. Fibroids may create menstrual complications, severe pain, abdominal enlargement and sexual side effects. Yet, most women have never heard of uterine fibroids and few think they are at risk for them. This means patients are largely in the dark about their options for treatment when they are diagnosed.
Dr. Lipman has practiced in Atlanta for the past 31 years, and much of that time has been spent in his private
needed for fibroids to grow, uterine fibroid embolization (UAE) can improve symptoms, provide better quality of life and possibly preserve fertility. UAE is, to Dr. Lipman, a gift. A crucial part of the fibroid puzzle.
A nonsurgical alternative “Hysterectomy is the second most common surgery performed in the United States,” Dr. Lipman said. “That’s surprising to me, because half the population of the United States wasn’t born with a uterus.”
Even more puzzling, he says, is that the most common reason for hysterectomy isn’t cancer: it’s fibroids, a benign disease. The average age of hysterectomy is 40 years old.
John Lipman, MD, FSIR
practice, focusing on women’s health— primarily uterine fibroid treatment through uterine artery embolization. By essentially removing the blood supply
“Why in the world are we essentially amputating young women for benign disease?” Dr. Lipman asked. “When you dive deeper and consider that African-American women disproportionately suffer from fibroids, you then have to wonder, why are we amputating so many young Black women for a benign disease?”
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