The short answer
Fibroid surgery can involve significant bleeding, so your blood level is checked beforehand and blood is matched and kept ready. Most women do not need a transfusion, and the best way to lower the chance is to build your blood up in the weeks before surgery, with iron tablets, sometimes an iron drip, and treatment to slow heavy periods. If you have beliefs about blood, tell your surgeon early so the plan can include them.
Book a myomectomy, from ₦1,000,000Medically reviewed by Dr Debo Odulana, Founder and Chief Executive, Mezo. Last reviewed . This page is general information, not a diagnosis. Care is decided with you after an examination.
Why blood matters in fibroid surgery
Fibroids have a rich blood supply, and removing several from the wall of the womb can cause bleeding. At the same time, many women arrive for surgery already anaemic, because heavy periods have been draining their iron for months or years. A woman who starts with a low blood level has less in reserve, and is more likely to need a transfusion.
That is why your surgeon checks your full blood count early and may postpone the operation until your level is safer. A delay to build your blood is not wasted time.
How to build your blood before surgery
- Iron tablets, as prescribed. Take them with water or orange juice, not with tea, coffee, milk or Milo, which block iron. They can darken your stool and upset your stomach; tell your doctor if you cannot tolerate them, as another type or a different schedule may suit you.
- An iron drip (intravenous iron), if you are very anaemic, cannot take tablets, or surgery is close. It raises iron stores faster than tablets.
- Slowing the bleeding: tranexamic acid during periods, or a hormone treatment that stops periods for a few months before surgery and may also shrink the fibroids.
- Food: beans, liver, lean red meat, fish, eggs, ugu and efo, with fruit for vitamin C.
- A repeat blood count before the date, to confirm your level has risen.
What a transfusion involves
Before surgery a blood sample is taken to find your blood group and match units of blood to it. The blood is kept ready and used only if it is needed. If you do need it, it is given through a drip over a few hours, with nurses checking you throughout. Donated blood is screened for infections before use.
Some hospitals in Nigeria ask relatives to donate blood to replace what a patient used. Ask your care coordinator what applies to your operation, so nobody is caught out on the day.
On Mezo the myomectomy price includes two units of blood matched and held. Blood actually transfused beyond those two units changes the price, and that is set out in your written quote.
If you do not accept blood
If you are a Jehovah's Witness or have any other reason not to accept blood, tell your surgeon at the first consultation. It changes how the operation is planned: building your blood earlier, medicines that reduce bleeding, sometimes shrinking the fibroids first, and a clear written agreement about what you will and will not accept. Your wishes should be respected, and you should know the risks before you consent.
After surgery
Most women feel tired for some weeks after a myomectomy. A blood count before discharge shows where you are. Keep taking iron for as long as you are told, often for a few months, and eat well. Feeling faint, breathless or very pale at home means call your surgeon.
What it costs on Mezo
Two units of blood cross-matched and available are included.
Common questions
Must my family donate blood before my fibroid surgery?
Practice varies between hospitals in Nigeria. Your care coordinator will tell you before the date what applies to your operation, so you can plan.
How long does it take iron tablets to raise my blood?
Your blood level usually starts to rise within a few weeks, and it can take a few months to fill your iron stores. That is why surgeons like to start iron as early as possible.
Can I eat my way out of anaemia before surgery?
Food helps, but if you are anaemic from heavy periods, diet alone is rarely enough. Iron tablets or an iron drip, plus slowing the bleeding, are usually needed.
Is the blood safe?
Donated blood is screened for infections such as HIV and hepatitis before it is used. Transfusion has risks, like any treatment, and your doctor uses it only when the benefit is greater.
The procedures
Related health guides
More patient guides
Sources and further reading
The guidelines and patient information this page is checked against. Care in Nigeria follows the same evidence; what differs is the price and where it is done.
- Iron deficiency anaemia. NHS. Patient information.
- Blood transfusion. NHS. Patient information.
- Blood transfusion. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Clinical guideline.
Links last checked 22 October 2026.
Medical disclaimer: This guide is general information and does not replace advice from your own doctor. Where your centre's instructions differ from this guide, follow theirs.