Uterine Fibroids Treatment
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About 85 percent of patients who undergo uterine fibroid embolization experience a durable, long-lasting and significant result. After uterine artery embolization, expect minor side effects such as mild cramping or tiredness. Watch Anup Singh, MD, of Good Samaritan Hospital, explain more.
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About 85 percent of patients who undergo uterine fibroid embolization experience a durable, long-lasting and significant result, according to Anup Singh, MD, of Good Samaritan Hospital. Watch this video to learn more.
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One of the most common causes of infertility in women, uterine fibroids are abnormal growths in the uterus that almost always are noncancerous. 40 percent of hysterectomies are performed for the treatment of uterine fibroids. New microsurgical techniques have been developed to make myomectomy a choice for some women. Myomectomy is a surgery that removes the fibroid tumor and leaves the female organs intact. Reconstruction of the uterus is often part of the procedure. Specialists who perform myomectomies can discuss whether or not this is a procedure to resolve your problem and whether or not the procedure can be done on an outpatient basis. Medications are another option for treating fibroid tumors in some women. Prescription medications are available that can shrink the size of the fibroid and lessen heavy bleeding and pain. These medications can be used for a limited period of time and require careful monitoring by a physician.
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Uterine fibroid embolization (UFE) is a minimally invasive surgical procedure designed to block blood flow to a fibroid in order to shrink it. Uterine fibroids are noncancerous tumors that grow in the uterus and may cause such symptoms as heavy menstrual bleeding, pelvic pain, frequent urination, and back or leg pains.
In UFE, after light sedation and a local anesthetic are given, a small catheter is inserted in the patient's femoral artery (a long artery that runs from the lower abdomen into the thigh). Using imaging guidance, the catheter is threaded into the uterine arteries and specifically the arteries supplying blood to the fibroids. An embolic agent consisting of tiny microspheres, biologically inert particles made of a material similar to that used in contact lenses and smaller than grains of sand, is then injected into the arteries that supply blood to the fibroids. This selectively deprives the fibroids of their blood supply, causing them to gradually shrink.
While UFE is an option for most patients, some patients may still require more invasive procedures such as myomectomy or hysterectomy, which require longer hospital stays and recovery periods.
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The only guaranteed cure for uterine fibroids is hysterectomy, or the surgical removal of the entire uterus. If the uterus is removed, uterine fibroids have nowhere to grow. However, after hysterectomy, women are no longer able to have children, so hysterectomy usually isn't the first treatment option used. Instead, medications or other surgical procedures to remove only the fibroids themselves may be used first. A procedure called uterine fibroid embolization can also be done to cut off the blood supply to the fibroid. Those treatments may be successful, but they're not guaranteed cures. Talk to your doctor about finding a treatment that's best for you.
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Watchful waiting is one of many options used to treat uterine fibroids. Watch the video to learn more about treatment of fibroids.
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