Dr Oz: Kandi Burruss & Todd Tucker
Dr Oz was talking to Real Housewives of Atlanta star Kandi Burruss and her husband Todd Tucker about their infertility issues. Dr Oz brought in OB/GYN Dr Jessica Shepherd who said it was good that Kandi and Todd were so connected and ready to go through with it, but what they could still use a plan because they both already have kids, which means they’ve done it before. She shared that fibroids are actually very common and 50% of women will have them by age 50. African-American women tend to have more fibroids than other women, approximately 70%.
Dr Oz helped Todd Tucker and Kandi Burruss better understand uterine fibroids, which were contributing to their infertility. (genue-luben / flickr)
She said the fact that Kandi has had fibroids removed several times makes her case a bit more unique. Kandi shared that she had a lot of complications and sometimes would even bleed heavily. The first procedure she had was a quick outpatient procedure, but then she started to bleed non-stop for two months straight and even passed out on a plane. She underwent surgery again, and that time she ended up having to get a blood transfusion.
She was told she needed to have a child within five years or the fibroids would come back, but she didn’t even know Todd at the time.
Dr Oz: Dealing With Fibroids
So how do you know if fibroids are causing a problem? Dr Shepherd said if you’re not having any symptoms, such as bleeding, like Kandi was, they generally leave them alone. If you start to experience problems, that’s when they’ll remove them. Dr Shepherd showed an ultrasound of a uterus with a fibroid inside. She explained that the fibroid is occupying the space in which you want the fertilized egg to grow.
Kandi said just last year or the year before, when her fibroids came back, this time they were within the cavity, like Dr Shepherd was talking about. She had to have another procedure to have them removed, and was apparently left with some scar tissue that she was told needed to be removed.
Dr Oz: A Look Inside A Uterus
Dr Oz then showed some real uteri, which Kandi said “looks like a chitlin.” Dr Oz then showed a uterus with a fibroid in it. The fibroid can suck up nutrients that the baby would need, or it can block the baby from getting there at all. The couple plans on using IVF and Dr Oz said it’s important to know that one of the most common things that can hold people back from having a baby is stress.
Dr Oz suggested that the couple figure out how to deal with the stress in their lives in a better way, so that they can come together and work together.
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