I've been searching for information about the MRI-guided laser ablation, and so far, I haven't found anything not coming from the UK and also nothing any more recent than 2002. But what I did find looks like it might not be what I want. The information I saw indicated that this procedure only gets rid of part of the fibroid. I don't see much use in that.

I did a search using the key words, "sonic scalpel" and I only got two hits in Google... both of them to this thread.    ;-)    I was a bit amused by that. Then I searched on the words, "ultrasound" and "fibroids", and I got some interesting information. This procedure appears to remove the whole fibroid and doesn't involve any kind of invasive procedure. I'll now be on the lookout for any information about any possible down sides to this procedure. If I don't find any that look significantly worse than the others, and if the cost isn't significantly higher than the others, I think I'll probably go with that one.

I was talking to a neighbor today who had a hysterectomy (leaving the ovaries intact) about five years ago. She said her doctor recommended it because of her recurrent yeast infections. I asked her if they took the cervix along with the uterus, and she said she had no idea. She doesn't know whether or not she has a cervix. She said she had only two regrets... that she didn't have it done sooner (she doesn't miss having periods), and the other, that it didn't do anything at all to clear up the yeast problem.

Later on in the day, I ran into her again. She had just been talking with another neighbor who told her that she was going to be having surgery to tie up her bladder again. My neighbor asked her why she needed to do that, and the other lady said that when they tie up the bladder so it won't collapse or whatever it does, it only lasts about five or six years and then you have to get done all over again. That has me thinking more strongly about not getting the hysterectomy if I can avoid it, and to at least have the cervix left in if I can't avoid the hysterectomy. I understand that the cervix provides some support for the bladder in the absence of the uterus.