Dr. Stanley Egbogu, a consultant gynaecologist, is cautioning women against the use of natural remedies for the removal of fibroids.
Dr. Egbogu works at the Nnamdi Azikwe Teaching Hospital, Awka, Anambra and said this during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Lagos.
Fibroids are non-cancerous growths that can develop inside or around the womb (uterus). These growths are made up of muscle and fibrous tissue, and can vary in size.
Dr. Egbogu explained that many women take medicines that allegedly claim to be effective in removing fibroids. He stated that these claims were not scientifically proven and could lead to health complications for the person.
He also added that although some of the medicines will shrink the fibroids size for a while, the tumour will eventually grow back.
According to him, many patients who have fibroids usually present late for treatment at hospitals when in actuality, the fibroids have become advanced. He emphasised that early presentation would help in preventing health complications that accompany the surgical operation of huge fibroids.
“Fibroids should not lead to death if the surgery is properly performed by a well-trained doctor. However, quackery is an issue that affects the medical profession with many unqualified persons taking on responsibilities that they aren’t trained for and causing unnecessary complications and untimely deaths.”
Dr. Egbogu urged for patients to consult specialists for fibroid surgery and to also ensure the provision of blood in case the need for blood transfusion arises after the surgery. He then called for more measures and legislation so as to discourage quackery in the medical profession and stressed that achieving so would enhance the quality of healthcare services.
SOURCE: NAN
