21.07.2026 13:20
A 45-year-old woman who came to Istanbul from Batman for treatment had a giant fibroid approximately 60 centimeters in diameter and weighing 17 kilograms detected in her uterus. The fibroid, which was removed while preserving the uterus in an operation lasting about 3 hours, was reported to be one of the largest cases in scientific literature in terms of diameter.
In recent months, a woman named K.G. (45), who came to Istanbul from Batman due to abdominal bloating and various health issues, consulted Prof. Dr. Hanifi Şahin. Examinations revealed a giant fibroid 60 centimeters in diameter in the patient's uterus. Şahin, who alleviated the patient's concerns upon learning of the giant fibroid in her body, prepared for surgery. In an operation lasting approximately 3 hours, the 60-centimeter fibroid was successfully removed while preserving the patient's uterus.
"WE REMOVED IT WHILE PRESERVING OUR PATIENT'S UTERUS"
Prof. Dr. Hanifi Şahin described the challenging surgery in detail. Prof. Dr. Şahin said, "The distinctive feature of this fibroid surgery is that we removed a very large fibroid, 60 centimeters in size, while preserving our patient's uterus. Fibroids are very common in women. They cause various complaints in women. This fibroid had grown very large, and our patient had postponed surgery and treatment for years due to the fear that her uterus would be removed. As far as we know, looking at the scientific literature, it seems to be the world's largest fibroid in terms of diameter. Because in the scientific literature, there are fibroids of 53 centimeters, 54 centimeters, but not in terms of diameter, not in terms of weight. Its weight was 16.8 kilograms. But in terms of size, in terms of diameter, we will also publish this in the scientific literature. It appears to be the largest fibroid both in our country and in the world. These were causing various complaints. Really, our patient couldn't walk; shortness of breath, abdominal swelling, and bleeding were very intense. It was truly a very troublesome situation. We saved our patient from this problem with a successful operation lasting about 3-3.5 hours."
Prof. Dr. Şahin mentioned that the patient was initially anxious, saying, "The biggest concern here was the fear that the uterus might be removed, and it was indeed a legitimate fear. Using the experience that gynecological cancer surgery provides us, we told our patient that we could preserve her uterus. We evaluated our patient, conducted her MRIs and ultrasounds. We shared with her that the surgery could be performed while preserving her uterus, and thus, together with the patient and her relatives, we made the decision for the operation. We completed our surgery successfully and saved our patient from this problem."
"WE WERE VERY SURPRISED TOO"
Emphasizing that he was surprised when he saw the giant fibroid during the surgery, Prof. Dr. Şahin said, "Even though you know the fibroid is there, when we saw the fibroid, we were really very surprised. It was a truly massive fibroid. It was interesting for us as well. With the atmosphere of the surgery, we aimed to free our patient from this mass as soon as possible. We couldn't lift it during the surgery. Imagine being able to lift a mass that heavy, 16-17 kilograms. Therefore, we thought of removing this burden from our patient as quickly as possible to save her. It was really an interesting experience for us. I am a physician who performs many fibroid surgeries, but this was truly an unforgettable case."
"UTERUS REMOVAL IS NOT MANDATORY"
Stating that the patient felt relieved after the giant fibroid was removed, Prof. Dr. Şahin said, "The patient has had this fibroid for about 3-4 years. I always tell patients. Regardless of the number, size, or location of fibroids, the uterus can be preserved. The factor of an experienced center and an experienced surgeon is very important in this regard. A fibroid is a benign mass. Uterus removal due to a fibroid is not mandatory. The uterus can be preserved, fertility can be preserved. This can be the case for a young patient or for a lady who wants to preserve her uterus at age 50. As I said, the most important points to consider here are a correct center and correct, effective surgical intervention and experience."
FIBROID IS ONE-THIRD OF THE PATIENT'S WEIGHT
Prof. Dr. Şahin, stating that they performed a procedure similar to a tummy tuck, said, "When we looked at the before and after, there was a remarkable difference. Most importantly, our patient was thin. About 55 kilograms, the fibroid was nearly one-third of her own weight. There was a huge relief in her circulatory system, and generally in her condition. They especially need to be aware of their bodies. They need to have gynecological check-ups at least once a year or every 1.5 years. Many patients can confuse it with simple daily complaints. Like 'I caught a stomach bug, the window was open at night, I got a chill, I have gas pain.' This can be the case not only for fibroids but for many diseases, cancer, and other illnesses. Sometimes these complaints can be mistaken for day-to-day issues. If there are complaints such as abdominal pain or bloating and they last for weeks, they should definitely consult a gynecologist or a physician."