No matter how small the operation may be, surgery is always unnerving. The days and hours leading up to the procedure are unnerving. Though that time will undeniably be stressful, patients can mitigate their worry by preparing for the treatment properly.

This is particularly true for women who are about to receive fibroid treatments. These patients have likely lived much of their lives with fibroids, without ever realizing that they had them. The average uterus, in fact, has six or seven fibroids, and doctors aren’t even sure why they develop. These fibroids are usually without symptoms, but can cause serious problems, such as abnormal bleeding, pain and pressure, which is why they sometimes need to be removed.

If you’re going to undergo uterine fibroid surgery, you can take these steps to prepare for your procedure, and ease your fears.

Follow the Doctor’s Instructions.
The most important thing patients can do to prepare for their fibroid treatments is to pay close attention to their doctors’ instructions about food and medications. Most likely, the doctors will order their patients to stop eating or drinking in the hours prior to their fibroid treatments. They may also need to adjust medication levels and schedules. These instructions must also be followed closely.

Discuss How the Procedure Works.
To feel better about what’s going to happen, patients would be wise to discuss with their doctors how fibroid treatments work — what anesthesia they’ll be given, how it will affect them, what will happen after, how long the procedure is expected to take, what will happen during the procedure, and so on. Typically, the removal of uterine fibroids is only a minor surgery, but as mentioned before, even minor surgery can be very stressful. Simply knowing how the treatment of uterine fibroids works can be very stress relieving.

Ask For Help.
No matter how minor the surgery, most patients need someone to help them out. Patients should ask a family member, a spouse, a friend, or someone they trust to help them drive to their fibroid treatments, and generally help.

If you’re still not sure about which fibroid treatments are best for you, talk with your doctor about your uterine fibroids treatment options. Though minor surgery is the only effective way to remove them, there are other ways to manage symptoms. If you have any questions about preparing for fibroid treatments, feel free to ask in the comments.