Millie Behera, MD, is helping women win the battle against infertility and uterine fibroids.

What are some of the problems you help women with?

In our practice, we help women struggling with issues like infertility, polycystic ovary syndrome, endometriosis, uterine fibroids, and other similar issues.

I’ve heard that about half of women will develop uterine fibroids by the time they are 50. What exactly are fibroids?

Fibroids are non-cancerous growths in the walls of the uterus. Like you say, they’re very common, but we don’t know what causes them.

Should I worry?

That won’t help. Actually, fibroids may cause no problems. Or they could cause very disruptive symptoms such as painful periods, excessive bleeding during periods, pelvic pressure, or frequent urination. And fibroids can be associated with infertility, too. Fortunately, there are a lot of treatment options.

Such as?

There are surgical and nonsurgical treatments. One of the newest options is MRI-guided focused ultrasound ablation, which uses pulses of ultrasound energy to destroy fibroid tissue while leaving the surrounding tissue unharmed. Duke’s Fertility Center (part of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology) is the only facility in North Carolina that offers this treatment for the removal of fibroids.

As with any conservative treatment, there is a small chance that the fibroids will grow back or new ones will develop. But the chances of complications are low, and recovery can be very quick.

How do I know if I’m a good candidate for focused ultrasound?

Your doctor can refer you for screening. It’s a new procedure, approved by the FDA just a few years ago, and for now you’re considered eligible only if you’ve completed your childbearing years. Although pregnancies after this procedure have been reported, further study is needed in this area.

What makes you a champion for women?

I’m driven to make women aware of all their options when it comes to their health care.