Women who had less invasive treatment for painful uterine fibroids did about as well as those who had surgery, including hysterectomy, suggests a new study that lays out the options for a troubling condition affecting millions of women.

Uterine fibroids are common among women of child-bearing age. Nearly 40 percent develop these noncancerous growths in the uterus that often don’t cause any symptoms. While the most common treatment is surgery to remove tumors that cause extreme pain, some women choose a gentler procedure.

However, the study found there were some trade-offs to the popular procedure known as uterine artery embolization. While embolization patients spent far less time in the hospital, they also were more likely to need a repeat treatment.

Although the study did not address whether embolization can preserve fertility, it adds to growing evidence that this less drastic approach is a safe alternative to hysterectomy, the most common type of surgery to deal with painful fibroids.

“For some women, retaining a uterus is much more important than avoiding repeat surgery, particularly for younger women,” said Dr. James Spies, a Georgetown University radiologist who had no role in the new research. Spies successfully treated Condoleezza Rice, who was then U.S. national security adviser, with fibroid embolization in 2004.

Fibroids are noncancerous growths of muscle fibers inside the uterus that can range from a quarter inch in size to as large as a cantaloupe. In serious cases, uterine fibroids can cause heavy menstrual bleeding, pelvic soreness and pain during sex.

For decades, hysterectomy – removal of the uterus – was the only option. Of the roughly 600,000 hysterectomies performed yearly in the United States, about a third are due to fibroids.

A more recent option is a myomectomy, surgery that removes the fibroids and keeps the uterus intact, allowing for a future pregnancy. However, there’s a chance the fibroids will return.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says that while embolization is an option for women with fibroids, there’s not enough evidence to show that it’s safe for women who want to get pregnant.