Saint Agnes Medical Center - FIBROID EMBOLIZATION

FIBROID EMBOLIZATION

Uterine Fibroids

Uterine fibroids are non-cancerous tumors that grow in the muscle of the uterus. Approximately 20%-40% of women suffer from this condition. Uterine fibroids can range in size from very tiny to the size of a melon. While many women don’t have symptoms, some women experience abnormal uterine bleeding, pain in the pelvis, pelvic pressure, abnormally large abdomen, frequent urge to urinate and pain during sexual intercourse. When women become symptomatic, fibroids are treated.

Treatments for Uterine Fibroids

Medication
This treatment is usually tried first. Symptoms may be controlled with hormone therapy, the birth control pill, or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as Motrin or Naproxen
Surgical Treatment
Currently, the most common treatment is the surgical removal of the uterus or “hysterectomy.” Women who undergo this treatment are usually past childbearing age or understand that they will not be able to get pregnant following the surgery. Hysterectomy is performed under general anesthetic and requires a hospital stay of several days. Recovery time is up to several weeks.
Non Surgical Treatment
Many women can be treated for their symptoms with a procedure named Uterine Artery Embolization where the blood supply to the fibroid is blocked. This minimally invasive procedure is performed while you are given medication for drowsiness, but are pain free. You are observed only overnight. You go home the next day with a small band-aid at your groin and with a prescription for pain medications. Return to regular activity may be resumed within a week to 10 days.

How do you know if you have fibroids?

Uterine fibroids may be diagnosed by your doctor during your regular pelvic exam. Other imaging tests such as an ultrasound, MRI or CT scan may be needed.

What is involved in the procedure?

A small tube called a catheter, the size of spaghetti, is placed in the artery in your groin through a small nick in the skin. Using x-ray equipment the doctor guides the catheter to the blood supply of the fibroid. Then he injects plastic particles, the size of grains of sand, to block the blood supply.

During the procedure you are given medication to make you drowsy. You will not feel the catheter inside you. You may experience some cramping and medications are given to help with pain control during and after the procedure. After the procedure the catheter is removed and a small band-aid is placed over the skin nick. You will need to rest laying flat for 5 – 6 hours.

This procedure is performed by board-certified Interventional Radiologists at Saint Agnes Medical Center who specialize in minimally invasive therapy to diagnose and treat illness using radiology imaging.

Patients may stay in the hospital one night for observation. Many women can return to normal activities after 7 -10 days. Some studies have shown that some women can get pregnant after having this procedure, but further research is needed as reinforcement of this data. Talk to your doctor if you desire to get pregnant after uterine artery embolization.

Are the plastic particles safe?

These particles have been used in many other procedures for over 20 years without long-term complications.

To find out if you are a candidate for this procedure, please contact a nurse at (559) 450-3939 to discuss uterine fibroids.