Uterine Fibroid Embolization (UFE)

About the procedure

Uterine Fibroid Embolization (UFE) is a minimally invasive procedure used to treat painful fibroid tumors that develop in the uterus.

Why it’s done

Fibroids can cause symptoms such as heavy menstrual bleeding, mild to severe cramping, constant pressure, and the frequent need to urinate. In the past, these fibroids were often treated with hysterectomy (surgical removal of the uterus). Hysterectomy is a more invasive procedure that leaves the patient unable to have children and has a longer recovery time. The minimally invasive UFE procedure used by CiC doctors allows the doctor to shrink or destroy these tumors without the need for invasive surgery.

What to expect

Preparation: You should not eat anything for four hours before the procedure, although you can drink water. You should tell your CiC physician beforehand about any medications you are currently taking, and whether you have ever been allergic to seafood or have had a bad reaction to injectable contrast dyes.
During: Before the procedure you may be given sedation to help you relax. Then, after applying a local anesthetic, your CiC surgeon inserts a thin, flexible catheter through a small nick in the skin and guides it precisely into position in the uterus. There, a contrast dye and X-ray fluoroscopy is used to visualize the tumors. Finally, the catheter is guided to the arteries that supply these tumors, where small particles are injected into the vessels supplying the fibroids, cutting off the tumors’ blood flow, and causing them to shrink and die.

After: The There may be some moderate pain following the procedure. The doctor will prescribe medication to help manage it After that initial period, however, most patients report that there is little need for additional “recovery time,” with the majority of women being back to their normal lives in 7-10 days. By three months 85-90% of women report resolution or significant reduction of their symptoms.