By Madhurima Ghosh –
Ritika Sharma, a 34-year-old Bengaluru journalist, underwent one of the most traumatic and inevitable experiences of her life and entered her name in the Guinness Book of World Records. She had developed 236 fibroids weighing over 2.25 kg in her uterus which was removed last year through a successful surgery performed by Dr. Shanthala Thuppanna at the Sakra World Hospital, Bengaluru
Ritika an inspiring author and a former TV anchor experienced abnormal menstrual bleeding and her abdomen enlarged resembling 8-month pregnancy due to the development of different sizes of the fibroids. Dr. Shanthala Thuppanna along with her highly experienced team of gynaecologists performed a myomectomy and thoroughly removed all of the 236 fibroids from her uterus in the four-and-a-half-hour long complex surgical procedure.
Dr. Shanthala Thuppanna stated that these fibroids were as large as a cauliflower, measuring 20x20x10 cm and weighing over 2.25 kg.
On creating this record, Dr Shantala Thuppanna expressed her delight saying she was glad about the successful removal of all the 236 fibroids during this complicated surgery. The fibroids were located at critical places like below the urinary bladder and ureter and were spread throughout the left side of her uterus and very near to important structures in the abdomen.
As advice to young women, she stated, “This is a cautionary tale for all women to stay aware of such underestimated comorbidities and consult experts at the earliest to safeguard themselves from unwarranted complications.”
Ritika said, for her it was an unexpected event and unforgettable recognition as it would constantly remind her about how they came over the situation. She expressed her gratitude for Dr Shanthala and her entire team for being extremely co-operative, providing explanations at every step of the procedure and also for giving the best clinical advice while undergoing the surgery.
Fibroids are noncancerous tumors made of smooth muscle cells and fibrous connective tissue. They develop in the uterus and lead to heavy menstrual bleeding, back pain, frequent urination and pain during sex. Uterine Fibroids have become increasingly common in recent years, about 40 to 50 per cent of women suffer from them. Only a few of them undergo the symptoms while rest of them, go unrecognized. It is important to seek the advice of doctors and professionals in order to receive the right diagnosis and treatment.