28 | FEBRUARY 25 • 2021
F
ibroid tumors — benign
growths in the uterus and
uterine walls — are com-
mon, occurring in about 70 per-
cent of women. These growths
typically start small, and some
individuals with fibroids have
few or minor symptoms.
However, fibroids often grow
in size and number, and many
women experience significant
abdominal pain, pressure and
heavy menstrual bleeding as
a result. In addition, fibroids
can make it more difficult to
become pregnant and cause
complications during pregnancy,
according to Danny Benjamin,
M.D., FACOG, chief of obstet-
rics and gynecology at DMC
Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital in
Commerce.
When symptoms were severe,
women could choose hysterec-
tomy (removal of the uterus) or
myomectomy (surgical removal
of the fibroids), but both surgical
procedures require hospitaliza-
tion and a lengthy recovery.
Hormonal injections or the
use of IUDs with hormones
sometimes provided temporary
relief but also caused unpleasant
side effects. For most patients,
fibroids tended to grow back
after treatment was completed.
In the past, Benjamin per-
formed a laparoscopic procedure
to shrink the fibroids. However,
the earlier technology required
at least three small abdominal
incisions, making it technically
more challenging depending on
the tumor location. Last year,
Gynesonics, a company special-
izing in the imaging and treat-
ment of gynecologic conditions,
received permission from the
Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) for its newest version of
the Sonata procedure that uses
a combination of ultrasound
and radiofrequency to target
and shrink fibroids. In med-
ical terms, it is described as a
sonography-guided transcervical
fibroid ablation device.
“I was very impressed by the
results of the clinical studies,
and the positive impact Sonata
had on women’s lives. The
incision-free nature of Sonata
addresses the growing preference
of women seeking a less-in-
vasive, lower risk procedure
that preserves the uterus,
” said
Benjamin, who was specially
trained for the procedure.
With the Sonata procedure,
the gynecologist inserts a hand-
held device into the cervix to
identify the location of the
fibroids with ultrasound and
then uses radiofrequency — a
O
xygen is a necessity
for life — to transfer
energy from food into
a usable form and to perform
vital functions throughout the
body. More than 100 years ago,
a hyperbaric chamber — an
enclosed space with high con-
centrations of oxygen at higher
than atmospheric pressure —
was first used in the U.S. for
medical purposes.
According to the Mayo Clinic,
“Under these conditions, your
lungs can gather much more
oxygen than would be possible
breathing pure oxygen at nor-
mal air pressure. When your
blood carries this extra oxygen
throughout your body, this helps
fight bacteria and stimulate
the release of substances called
growth factors and stem cells,
which promote healing.
”
The Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) has
approved hyperbaric oxygen
therapy (HBOT) for 14 medical
conditions, including wounds
that don’t heal because the
patient is diabetic and severe
burns. Exposure to high-pres-
sure oxygen is believed to stimu-
late the formation of new blood
vessels and aid the body’s infec-
tion-fighting ability.
In recent years, HBOT has
been used outside the U.S. for
conditions such as stroke recov-
ery, autoimmune disorders and
autism. In the U.S., “off-label”
use of HBOT for non-FDA-ap-
proved medical treatment is per-
mitted but may not be covered
by insurance.
Locally, the Oxford Recovery
Center, founded in 2008 by Tami
Peterson, provides HBOT, coor-
dinated with other treatments
for an integrated approach,
for more than 100 conditions,
including autism, concussions,
stroke, anxiety and auto-im-
mune disorders, according to
Ned Kulka, Oxford’s marketing
director.
Peterson started Oxford
Recovery Center after her young
daughter was diagnosed with
viral encephalitis and suffered
severe neurological setbacks.
Her daughter, treated with
HBOT, made a remarkable
recovery.
STROKE RECOVERY
Today, Oxford provides a broad
range of treatments for children
HEALTH
COURTESY OF OXFORD RECOVERY
Hyperbaric therapy is used to treat
diverse medical conditions and may
of
set aging.
New Possibilities
SHARI S. COHEN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Patients undergo
hyperbaric oxygen
therapy at Oxford
Recovery.
continued on page 31
continued on page 31
“NINETY
PERCENT OF
PATIENTS
HAVE POSITIVE
RESULTS.”
— DR. DANNY BENJAMIN
New procedure treats fi
broids
without surgery.
Good News
for Women
SHARI S. COHEN CONTRIBUTING WRITER