UAE for Fibroids & Adenomyosis: Effective Treatment

thumb

What are fibroids?

  1. Fibroids are benign muscular tumors that grow in the wall of the uterus (womb)
  2. Fibroids are also known as leiomyomata or just myoma.
  3. The cause of fibroids isn’t well understood. Risk factors include a family history of fibroids, obesity, or early onset of puberty.
  4. Symptoms include heavy menstrual bleeding, prolonged periods, and pelvic pain. In some cases, there are no symptoms.
  5. Traditional treatments have included medication and removal of the fibroid or uterus.

What is uterine artery embolization?

  • Uterine fibroid embolization is a procedure to shrink noncancerous tumors in the uterus called uterine fibroids. It does not use major surgery, so your recovery is faster. You also may not need to stay in the hospital.

When is a uterine artery embolization required for fibroids?

  1. Low blood count (anaemia) from uterine bleeding due to fibroids
  2. Severe pelvic pain either during menses / or persistent pain without menses
  3. An enlarged/bulky uterus
  4. Infertility
  5. Bladder pressure that makes you feel like you need to urinate often
  6. Pressure on the bowel that causes constipation and bloating
  7. Pain during sexual intercourse
  8. Pain in your back or legs, which may be caused by the fibroids pressing on nerves

What are the advantages of uterine artery embolization (UAE)?

  1. Nearly 90% of people treated with UAE for fibroids experience full relief of symptoms.
  2. It can be performed under local anaesthesia as an outpatient procedure.
  3. There is a short recovery time because no large incisions or stitches exist.
  4. Little blood loss or bleeding afterward.
  5. Lower risk of complications as compared to invasive surgeries.
  6. It avoids the side effects of hormone therapies that are sometimes used to treat fibroids.
  7. It needs only a tiny puncture, so it’s less invasive than other treatments such as myomectomy (surgical removal of uterine fibroids) or hysterectomy (removal of your uterus).

Is uterine artery embolization (UAE) safe?

  • Yes, uterine artery embolization is a safe procedure in most cases. Your healthcare provider will discuss the risks of UAE with you based on your medical history.

How is Uterine artery Embolisation done?

  • Uterine fibroid embolization is a minimally invasive alternative to hysterectomy or myomectomy. This procedure blocks the blood supply to the fibroid tumors, making them shrink.
  • During UFE, a thin tube called a catheter is inserted through a blood vessel in the leg or wrist and guided by fluoroscopy (X-ray) images to the blood vessels that feed the fibroids of the uterus. Tiny particles are injected to stop blood flow to the fibroids. Once blood flow to the fibroids is blocked, patients return home while the fibroids shrink gradually over the next weeks and months.