Marc L. Friedman, MD
Section Chief of Vascular and Interventional Radiology
S. Mark Taper Foundation Imaging Center
Since fibroids are non-cancerous growths, the decision to have them treated should be driven by the severity of your symptoms. If your discomfort affects your quality of life, you may be a candidate for a relatively new non-surgical approach to treating symptomatic fibroids.
Uterine fibroid embolization (UFE) is a procedure that involves making a tiny needle puncture in the artery in the groin which enables an interventional radiologist to advance a catheter or small tube under X-ray guidance into the arteries that bring blood to your uterus and the fibroids. Small, synthetic particles are then injected into these arteries. The particles block the blood supply to the fibroids and, over time, the fibroids shrink and symptoms subside.
UFE, which takes about an hour to complete and requires an overnight hospital stay, is effective for patients experiencing abnormal menstrual bleeding, pelvic pain/pressure and other symptoms related to an enlarged uterus. It should be noted, however, that UFE cannot be used for fibroids either in the uterine cavity or on the outside of the uterus on a narrow stalk. This procedure is not typically recommended for women who desire future pregnancy. Because this technique does not involve an incision, average recovery time is 10 to 14 days -- comparable to laparoscopic surgery, and is considerably shorter than traditional surgery.
According to published clinical trials, UFE has proven largely effective. Most women report improvement in symptoms within weeks to months following UFE. In one study, from 78 to 96 percent of women treated by UFE reported being satisfied with the results.
- Center for Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Department
- S. Mark Taper Foundation Imaging Center (for UFE)
