General Gynecology · Treatment

Fibroid Treatment in Seoul: From Watchful Waiting to HIFU and Surgery

Fibroid treatment ranges from watchful waiting for small, symptom-free fibroids, through medicines that control heavy bleeding, to uterus-preserving procedures such as non-surgical HIFU (high-intensity focused ultrasound), uterine artery embolization and myomectomy, with hysterectomy reserved for women who have completed their family and want a definitive solution. At Somssi Women's Clinic in Gangnam, Seoul, Dr. Yoon Ho-joo diagnoses fibroids and adenomyosis by ultrasound and offers non-surgical HIFU alongside honest advice about every other option.

Medically reviewed by Dr. Yoon Ho-joo, MD, PhD, OB/GYN specialist, Somssi Women's Clinic · Last updated October 2026

At a glance

Key facts

The essentials, based on how Somssi Women's Clinic performs this procedure or answers this question. Your plan is confirmed at consultation.

• What they are: benign muscle growths of the uterus, present in most women by 50; only a minority cause symptoms
• Diagnosis: transvaginal ultrasound at the first visit; MRI before HIFU or surgery when needed
• Non-surgical option at the clinic: HIFU for symptomatic fibroids and adenomyosis, uterus-preserving, no incisions
• Medical options: tranexamic acid, hormonal contraception, hormonal IUD, GnRH-based medicines
• Surgical options: hysteroscopic, laparoscopic or open myomectomy; hysterectomy when appropriate
• Hospital stay: none for medical treatment or HIFU; 1–3 days for most myomectomies
• Who it suits: heavy periods, pelvic pressure, pain, frequent urination, fertility concerns, anemia

What are uterine fibroids?

Uterine fibroids (leiomyomas, myomas) are non-cancerous growths of the muscle wall of the uterus. They are extremely common; by age 50 most women have at least one, although many never know. Fibroids range from a few millimeters to the size of a melon and are described by position: submucosal (bulging into the cavity, the most likely to cause heavy bleeding and fertility problems), intramural (within the wall) and subserosal (on the outer surface, the most likely to press on the bladder or bowel).

Adenomyosis is a related condition in which the uterine lining grows into the muscle wall, causing a tender, enlarged uterus with heavy, painful periods. It often coexists with fibroids and is treated with many of the same options.

Somssi Women's Clinic is a surgical gynecology clinic in Gangnam, Seoul, founded in 2000 and led by Dr. Yoon Ho-joo, MD, PhD. The clinic's philosophy across all of its work is to preserve the uterus wherever possible, and it treats symptomatic fibroids and adenomyosis with non-surgical HIFU in addition to medical management, referring for or arranging surgery when that is genuinely the better choice.

Who needs treatment?

A fibroid that causes no symptoms usually needs no treatment, only periodic ultrasound. Treatment is considered when fibroids cause:

• Heavy or prolonged periods, clots, or iron-deficiency anemia
• Pelvic pressure, fullness, bloating or a visibly enlarged abdomen
• Frequent urination, difficulty emptying the bladder, or constipation from pressure
• Pelvic or back pain, or pain with intercourse
• Difficulty conceiving or recurrent miscarriage, particularly with submucosal fibroids distorting the cavity
• Rapid growth, or growth after menopause, which needs evaluation to exclude the rare cancerous leiomyosarcoma

Diagnosis and what happens at the visit

Dr. Yoon takes a history of your bleeding, pain, pressure symptoms, fertility plans and family history, then performs a transvaginal (or abdominal) ultrasound, which shows the number, size and position of fibroids and the appearance of adenomyosis. A blood count checks for anemia. If the cavity needs closer assessment, saline-infusion ultrasound or hysteroscopy is used, and MRI is arranged before HIFU or complex surgery to map the fibroids precisely and confirm suitability.

If you are due, cervical screening is done at the same visit; abnormal bleeding is never attributed to fibroids until the cervix and, where indicated, the uterine lining have been checked.

Treatment options compared

How Somssi treats fibroids with HIFU

High-intensity focused ultrasound concentrates ultrasound energy on a point inside the fibroid, heating and destroying the tissue without any incision, while the surrounding uterus is spared. You lie on the treatment table under sedation or with pain relief while the system, guided by imaging, treats the fibroid point by point; a session lasts roughly one to three hours depending on size. You go home the same day and most women return to work within one to three days.

Over the following months the treated tissue is absorbed and the fibroid shrinks, typically by 30–50%, with heavy bleeding and pressure symptoms improving in the majority of suitable patients. HIFU is also used for adenomyosis, where it reduces painful, heavy periods in many women. Suitability depends on the fibroid's size, number, position and blood supply and on a clear acoustic path from the skin, which is why MRI or detailed ultrasound mapping comes first; pedunculated subserosal fibroids, heavily calcified fibroids and very large uteri are generally not suitable. Fibroids can regrow or new ones form, and a minority of women need a second treatment or later surgery.

When surgery is the better choice

Dr. Yoon's preference for uterine preservation does not mean avoiding surgery when it serves you better. A submucosal fibroid distorting the cavity in a woman trying to conceive is usually best removed hysteroscopically. Very large or numerous fibroids, rapid growth, suspicion of malignancy, or symptoms that persist after HIFU may call for myomectomy, and a woman who has completed her family and wants no further treatment may reasonably choose hysterectomy. In these cases the clinic explains the options clearly and helps you arrange surgery, including with partner hospitals where an inpatient stay is needed.

If prolapse or pelvic floor weakness accompanies fibroids, our uterine prolapse surgery page describes the clinic's own-tissue, uterus-preserving approach; see also whether hysterectomy is necessary for prolapse.

Recovery timeline after HIFU

Results and what to expect

Medicines control bleeding in most women while they are taken but do not remove fibroids. HIFU improves symptoms in the majority of well-selected patients, with no incision and a fast recovery, but shrinkage is partial and gradual. Myomectomy removes the fibroids present, although about a quarter of women develop new ones within ten years. Hysterectomy is the only guaranteed cure. Fibroids are hormone-dependent and usually shrink after menopause, which is a legitimate reason to choose temporary measures in your late forties. Results vary with fibroid type, size and number.

Risks and how we reduce them

• Medicines: nausea, headaches, bone loss with prolonged GnRH treatment (limited duration, add-back therapy), clot risk with estrogen-containing pills
• HIFU: skin burns, pain, nerve irritation in the leg or back, transient urinary symptoms, incomplete treatment or regrowth; rare bowel injury; minimized by MRI or ultrasound mapping, careful positioning and skin preparation
• Myomectomy: bleeding and transfusion, infection, adhesions, uterine scar needing cesarean delivery, recurrence, and in rare cases conversion to hysterectomy
• Hysterectomy: bleeding, infection, injury to bladder, ureter or bowel, anesthesia risks, and for some women earlier menopause even with ovaries retained
• Missed diagnosis: rapid growth or postmenopausal growth is investigated with imaging and, where needed, tissue sampling before any uterus-preserving treatment

Why international patients choose Somssi

Women often arrive with a diagnosis from home and a recommendation for hysterectomy, wanting a second opinion that takes uterine preservation seriously. Dr. Yoon reviews outside imaging, performs his own ultrasound and explains each option in English, including when surgery really is the right answer. The clinic is 100 m from Gangnam Station Exit 1, has been a Ministry of Health and Welfare registered institution for foreign patients since 2011 and a Seoul Medical Tourism cooperation clinic since 2016.

HIFU is a same-day treatment with follow-up ultrasound that can be done abroad, which suits visitors on a short stay. See our gynecological care overview, our international patients page, learn about Dr. Yoon Ho-joo, or contact the clinic to send your reports before you travel.

Questions patients ask

Frequently asked questions

Short, honest answers. For anything personal, a consultation is the right place to ask.

See the full FAQ →

Do fibroids need to be removed?

Only if they cause problems. Fibroids are benign, and small ones without symptoms are simply monitored by ultrasound every six to twelve months. Treatment is for heavy bleeding, anemia, pressure, pain, urinary symptoms or fertility issues, or for unusual growth that needs investigation. Many women reach menopause without ever needing treatment, after which fibroids usually shrink.

Can fibroids be treated without surgery?

Yes. Medicines such as tranexamic acid, the combined pill, the hormonal IUD and GnRH-based drugs control bleeding, and HIFU destroys fibroid tissue with focused ultrasound through the skin, with no incision and same-day discharge. Uterine artery embolization is another non-surgical option. Somssi Women's Clinic offers HIFU for suitable fibroids and adenomyosis.

Is HIFU effective for fibroids and adenomyosis?

For well-selected patients, yes. Fibroid volume typically falls by 30–50% over six to twelve months and bleeding and pressure symptoms improve in most women; adenomyosis-related pain and heavy periods also respond in many cases. It does not suit every fibroid, shrinkage is partial, and some women later need a second treatment or surgery. Suitability is judged on MRI or detailed ultrasound beforehand.

Can I get pregnant after fibroid treatment?

Often. Removing a submucosal fibroid that distorts the cavity improves fertility, and myomectomy allows pregnancy, usually by planned cesarean delivery if the uterine wall was opened. Data on pregnancy after HIFU are encouraging but still limited, so for women actively planning pregnancy Dr. Yoon discusses whether myomectomy may be preferable. Uterine artery embolization is generally avoided when pregnancy is wanted.

Will my fibroids come back?

They can. Myomectomy removes the fibroids present, but roughly a quarter of women develop new ones within ten years, and HIFU-treated fibroids may partially regrow. Only hysterectomy prevents recurrence completely. Because fibroids depend on estrogen, they generally shrink after menopause, so recurrence becomes much less likely in your fifties.

Are fibroids cancer?

Almost never. Fibroids are benign, and the cancerous counterpart, leiomyosarcoma, is rare and cannot reliably be distinguished by ultrasound alone. Rapid growth, growth after menopause, unusual imaging features or new pain prompt MRI and, when needed, tissue sampling before any uterus-preserving treatment. For typical fibroids in women before menopause, the risk is very low.

Keep reading

Related treatments and guides

• Uterine Prolapse Surgery — the clinic's uterus-preserving approach when prolapse accompanies fibroids
• Do I Need a Hysterectomy for Uterine Prolapse? — why removing the uterus is not the default answer
• IUD Insertion and Removal — the hormonal IUD as a treatment for fibroid-related heavy bleeding
• PCOS Management — another cause of heavy or irregular bleeding assessed by ultrasound
• Cervical Screening (Pap Smear Test) — screening done before bleeding is attributed to fibroids
• Gynecological Care — the clinic's everyday gynecology services in English
• International Patients — sending reports before you travel and follow-up from abroad

Sources and medical review

• American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), Practice Bulletin on management of symptomatic uterine leiomyomas
• Te Linde's Operative Gynecology — chapters on leiomyomas, myomectomy and hysterectomy
• World Health Organization (WHO), classification of tumours of the female genital tract (benign smooth muscle tumours)

Next step

A consultation first. A decision only when you are ready.

Tell us what you are experiencing and what you hope to change. Dr. Yoon examines, measures and explains the options, including when no surgery is the right answer. International patients can start with an online consultation before travelling to Seoul.