When “Just Living With It” Shouldn’t Be the Answer. Fibroids and New Technology to Treat

By Meredith Johnston, DO, OB/GYN Fort HealthCare Center for Women’s Health

There’s a phrase I hear far too often in my exam room:

“I thought this was just something I had to live with.”

Usually, we’re talking about heavy or prolonged bleeding and pelvic pain.  Many times, these symptoms can be associated with fibroid tumors.

Fibroids are very common, and for many women, they never cause symptoms. But for others, they can quietly take over daily life — bringing heavy or unpredictable bleeding, pelvic pressure, fatigue, and discomfort that never fully goes away. Over time, it becomes something you work around. You plan differently, adjust, and, eventually, it starts to feel normal.

Today, we’re able to offer a level of technology at Fort HealthCare that you would typically expect to find in much larger health systems.

This is a minimally invasive treatment that allows us to conquer fibroids in a very targeted way. Using a small camera and specialized instruments, we can locate each fibroid and apply focused heat to it. That heat causes the fibroid to shrink over time, which helps relieve symptoms associated with uterine fibroids.

Patients, generally, go home the same day, and many are back to their normal routines much sooner than they expect.

It’s become a go-to approach in my practice.  Not because it’s new, but because of what I’ve seen it do for patients.  No more large incisions, extended hospital stays, and, for many women, it avoids putting their lives on pause for weeks at a time.

But the real impact goes beyond the procedure itself.

It’s the patient who no longer plans her day around symptoms.
The one who has the energy to do the things she enjoys again because she finally feels like her body isn’t working against her.

If you’ve been experiencing heavy bleeding, pelvic pain, or pressure, it’s worth having a conversation. Not because every situation requires treatment, but because you deserve to understand your options.

About Dr. Johnston

Meredith Johnston, DO, is a board-certified OB/GYN at Fort HealthCare’s Center for Women’s Health. With more than 20 years of experience, she provides highly specialized, minimally invasive care for women across all stages of life.

Dr. Johnston is nationally recognized, with extensive experience treating conditions such as fibroids, abnormal uterine bleeding, and chronic pelvic pain. She is committed to ensuring patients have access to advanced treatment options, many of which are still not widely available in smaller community hospitals, without having to leave the area.

Her approach is centered on partnership. She believes the best outcomes come from listening closely, answering questions, and helping patients choose the path that feels right for them.