Featured Image Credit: BBC
Topics: BBC, Health, TV And Film, Technology
Gregory Robinson
In what can be described as the most tech savvy medical show ever, Your Body Uncovered gives viewers and patients a rare chance to look inside the body to understand different medical conditions through 3D augmented reality.
In the first episode, host Kate Garraway, consultant Dr Guddi Singh and consultant gynaecologist Stephen Quinn met Hilda, a 40-year-old fashion influencer with uterine fibroids.
Hilda, and viewers at home, came face-to-face with her fibroids for the very first time.
The video below contains images some viewers may find distressing.
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Viewers lauded the show's discussion on fibroids and its use of technology on social media. One woman tweeted: "This was absolutely fascinating. It was particularly interesting to me as I’ve had both fibroids and frozen shoulders. Looking forward to next week."
There were even more women online who appreciated the discussions around fibroids. "Utterly shocked (in a good way) that Fibroids are getting a mention on national tv. It literally never happens," another woman tweeted.
A third shared: "Watching Your Body uncovered on BBC2 and the visuals of Cameroonian fashion blogger and stylist @Mammypi fibroids are both scary and amazing at the same time. Science is truly awesome."
While another woman tagged Kate Garraway in a tweet that said: "Your body uncovered. Excellent watch tonight for any woman with fibroids."
Hilda had been experiencing a “growing and painful” problem in her abdomen which had started to worsen right before she appeared on the show.
“Recently my tummy is just gotten bigger and it’s been really hard,” she recounts emotionally as she discusses the pain her fibroids were causing.
The consultants said Hilda’s condition was very serious and she had a distended tummy which she tried to disguise with specific outfit choices.
“It's taken away my self-confidence, that means I’ve limited how much I’ve interacted with people. Where I go to and who I want to be around," she explains. "It takes away your youth, it takes away your social life.”
People would also assume Hilda was pregnant upon meeting for the first time, which she described as "incredibly stressful".
Fibroids affect up to 40 per cent of women of reproductive age, usually between 16 and 50, in the UK and are a common condition.
Fibroids are non-cancerous growths that form in and around the uterus. Some women may experience mild symptoms, or no symptoms at all, however in some extreme cases, fibroids can cause fatigue, severe bleeding, infertility and a bulging tummy, all of which affected Hilda. She revealed her painful heavy bleeding often lasts up to three weeks during her periods.
It is not clear why fibroids grow or reach the size they do such as Hilda’s case, however a family history of fibroids and the female reproductive hormone oestrogen can contribute.
After taking scans, the consultants gave Hilda the chance to see her fibroids in 3D.
The team showed Hilda a side-by-side comparison of her uterus and a healthy uterus. Hilda’s was 40 per cent bigger and it took up most of the space in her lower abdomen. This is similar to carrying a full-term pregnancy.
The scans used to create the augmented reality image revealed Hilda had 90 fibroids that were growing underneath her healthy uterus tissue, causing it to stretch.
Hilda was offered surgery to treat her fibroids during which doctor Stephen Quinn removed 100 including those that didn't show up in the scan.
For more information on fibroids visit the NHS website. For help and support visit the British Fibroid Trust.
Your Body Uncovered continues Tuesday 9th March at 8pm on BBC Two.