LaSonia Hairston – AcessaTM Procedure Success Story

A new way to fight fibroids

The minimally invasive Acessa procedure gives women an option other than hysterectomy

Since the Acessa procedure relieved LaSonia
Hairston of troublesome fibroids, managing
these two big guys is a walk in the park.

More than a year ago, Texas native LaSonia Hairston became one of the three out of four women affected by uterine fibroids.

But with two Great Danes, seven grandchildren, and more than 1,000 apartment units under her management, 44-year-old LaSonia didn’t have time to be slowed down by the excessive bleeding and pain associated with these noncancerous growths in the uterus.
She also didn’t have time for the weeks-long recovery that often comes with traditional medical treatments.

She soon learned that she did have time for the AcessaTM procedure.

Life with fibroids

LaSonia’s problems began in fall 2014 with heavy bleeding, cramping, low-back and pelvic pain, and bloating. She remembers thinking, “Any day now, this will stop.” Months later, that day still hadn’t come. It made long meetings at work and Sunday morning church services particularly uncomfortable.

“Not to mention I could no longer enjoy the little things, like taking my dogs, King and Max, for a walk,” she says.

At the urging of her husband, she finally made an appointment with Jeremy Vaughan, MD, OB-GYN on the medical staff at Methodist Charlton Medical Center.

“We talked about how I was likely suffering from fibroids, since they are common in African-American women,” LaSonia says. When medication proved unhelpful, Dr. Vaughan decided it was time to explore other treatment options.

“I went into that appointment thinking that a hysterectomy was my only option for relief,” LaSonia says. “When Dr. Vaughan described a new, minimally invasive treatment called the Acessa procedure, I was hopeful.

“He explained how this procedure wouldn’t interrupt my life with an extended recovery time. I was very excited to learn more.”

A way forward

The Acessa procedure offers women same-day therapy for fibroids. It uses a technology called radiofrequency ablation, which applies heat energy to shrink and destroy the unwanted tissue. Acessa requires only two small incisions and leaves surrounding healthy uterine tissue unaffected.

“LaSonia wanted a minimally invasive treatment for her fibroids that would allow her to return to her usual activities in a short period of time,” Dr. Vaughan says. “Even though she was done having children, she wanted to avoid a hysterectomy, and given the number and size of her fibroids, I determined she was an ideal candidate for the Acessa procedure.”

When busy is good

It has been nine months since LaSonia had her Acessa procedure, and she is happy to report that she is fibroid-free and living her busy life to the fullest.

She expected to have some moderate abdominal pain for a few days after Acessa, but she felt like she could go back to work the next day — and probably would have if her husband hadn’t insisted she rest.

It is no surprise that after such a successful experience, she strongly recommends the Acessa procedure to other women facing similar circumstances.

From the spring 2016 edition of Shine magazine.