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Uterine Fibroid Embolization (UFE)

Do you have painful fibroids but aren’t ready for a hysterectomy? You’ve got options.

Uterine fibroids are most common in women in their 30s.

What are uterine fibroids?

Uterine fibroids are firm, muscular growths in the uterus that can range from undetectable by the human eye to the size of a melon. They can be single or in clusters. Some never cause symptoms and remain undetected, while others disrupt the woman’s life. You may never know you have a fibroid until you have symptoms, but if you have symptoms, you dread the monthly pain and heavy bleeding.  

As many as 50% of women in their reproductive years have fibroids.

Fibroids are more than a “bad” period

It’s hard to explain to anyone who hasn’t experienced it. Fibroids do more than make your period “worse.” They cause a range of symptoms that can depend on the location, number, and size of the fibroids. For some women, a heavy period is just the beginning. Excessive bleeding, extra-long periods, pelvic pain, frequent urination, constipation, back and leg pain – fibroids can be debilitating.

As many as 80% of women develop fibroids by age 50.

What is Uterine Fibroid Embolization (UFE)?

UFE addresses the fibroid problem without removing the uterus. UFE is a minimally invasive procedure done as an outpatient procedure under mild IV sedation. The physician uses X-ray guidance to thread a catheter through a small incision in the groin and guide it into the uterus. Then, an injection of microspheres cuts off the blood flow to the fibroids, essentially starving them. With their supply cut off, they shrink, relieving your symptoms.

Interventional radiologists have performed UFE to treat uterine bleeding since the 1970s. It’s a safe, effective, proven method of treating symptomatic fibroids.

UFE relieves fibroid symptoms without the complications, side effects, recovery time, and decreased sexual function associated with hysterectomy.

UFE completely or significantly relieves fibroid-related symptoms in almost 90% of women who try it.

How soon will you feel relief?

Symptom relief is noticeable within a few days. The fibroids continue to shrink for several months, and by six months post-UFE, your symptoms will have stabilized.

Women who undergo UFE can typically go home the same day and can expect to resume normal activities in one to two weeks.

Many women who had a hysterectomy for fibroids didn’t know they had another option.

You’ve got options! If you’ve been told you need a hysterectomy for your fibroids, call for a second opinion. Many hysterectomies simply aren’t necessary when UFE is an option.

If you’re living with the debilitating symptoms of fibroids, call us at +1 262-656-2508 for a consultation. We’d be happy to discuss your options and whether UFE is right for you.

Did you know that a single dysfunction of your veins can lower the quality of your day-to-day life?

The heart relies on veins to keep moving. Consequently, your legs have veins containing valves that let blood out but not backward. Failure of these valves to function efficiently causes blood to pool in your legs, leading to venous insufficiency.

What is Venous Insufficiency?

Venous insufficiency is a condition that occurs when veins in the lower legs are unable to pump blood back to your heart effectively. This can cause blood to pool in your legs, leading to several symptoms.

For example, venous insufficiency can cause the legs to feel tired, achy, and heavy. It could also contribute to leg swelling, varicose veins, and other problems.

While venous insufficiency is not usually life-threatening, it can be uncomfortable and debilitating.

Is there a Cure for Venous Insufficiency?

There is no promising cure for venous insufficiency. But there are treatments that can help manage the symptoms and improve your quality of life.

What are the Signs and Symptoms of Venous Insufficiency?

There are several signs and symptoms associated with venous insufficiency. The most common symptoms include:

• Swelling in the legs

Leg swelling is a leading consequence of blood pooling in the legs. This causes the legs to become tender. Your legs may swell after standing or sitting for a long time.

• Cramping in the legs

Pooled blood in your legs may cause leg cramps that are extremely painful. The cramps may also manifest in violently contracting muscles. Venous cramps occur in the calf.

• Varicose veins

Increasing blood pressure in your veins eventually leads to varicose veins. Varicose veins are a condition in which the veins become enlarged, lumpy, and twisted. They can occur anywhere in the body but are most common in the legs and feet. Varicose veins can be painful and can cause ulcers.

• Skin ulcers

Venous ulcers occur due to the high pressure in veins in your lower leg. This pressure usually is due to blood in these veins flowing toward your heart. At this point, you may have ulcers or sores on your legs that are slow to heal.

• Blood clots

The skin around your legs may become darker than usual. This implies that the forward blood flow through the veins is obstructed.

• A feeling of heaviness in the legs

You may feelheaviness or pain in your legs, especially after standing or sitting for long periods. You may also notice that your legs feel exhausted more often.

• Dry and itchy skin

Blood builds up in damaged vessels, eventually leaking into the skin. The leaking blood vessels may prevent enough oxygen from getting to your skin. With time, the skin over these veins becomes red and itchy. 

• Dark purple or blue color on the skin surface

Dark purple or blue color on your skin surface occurs when blood pools in the veins.

If you have any of these symptoms, it’s vital to see a doctor so you can get a proper diagnosis and treatment.

What are the Risk Factors for Venous Insufficiency?

There are several risk factors for developing venous insufficiency. These include:

Age: Venous insufficiency is more common in older adults. As you become older, your blood vessels may lose elasticity or weaken, which contributes to venous insufficiency.

Gender: Unlike men, women are at a higher risk for venous insufficiency. This is due to the effects of pregnancy and menopause on the vascular system. Pregnancy, for instance, may put pressure on the legs contributing to venous insufficiency.

Family background: Family history is another important risk factor. The condition can be hereditary.

Lifestyle choices: Poor lifestyle choices may manifest in obesity and a sedentary lifestyle. Being overweight and obese or even sitting or standing for long may increase pressure on the legs, contributing to venous insufficiency.

Phlebitis: Phlebitis occurs when a blood clot forms in a vein. This condition can cause the vein to become inflamed, leading to venous insufficiency.

Smoking history: Smoking damages the veins and makes it more difficult for them to function correctly.

History of blood clots: When a clot forms, it can block blood flow through the veins. This can cause the veins to distend and weaken, leading to venous insufficiency.

History of deep vein thrombosis (DVT): DVT is a condition that occurs when a blood clot forms in a deep vein, usually in the leg.

Week blood vessels: Weak or damaged blood vessels cannot pump blood as effectively as healthy veins. Weak blood vessels can result from certain medical conditions or even pregnancy.

Veins in Our Body Have an Important Role

When the veins in our body cannot pump blood effectively, blood begins to pool in the vessels. This can cause several problems. It may cause pain, swelling, blood clots, ulcers, and even varicose veins, among other circulation problems.

Thankfully, there are treatments available that can help to improve veins’ function and prevent blood pooling.

What are the Treatment Options for Venous Insufficiency?

The treatment options for venous insufficiency include:

1. Varicose Vein Procedures

Treatment for venous disease may vary by diagnosis. But varicose veins procedures can help with the situation.

Invasive procedures can improve blood flow to the heart. The procedure closes the damaged vein and reroutes blood to the healthier veins.

Another procedure involves injecting non-formulated medical adhesives to close the damaged vein.

Additional treatment options involve using heat to close off the sick veins. These include:

• Ablation (RF ablation)

• Endovenous Laser Ablation (EVLT)

• Regular Vein Treatments

Regular vein treatments such as sclerotherapy can help. So, what is sclerotherapy?

Sclerotherapy is a medical treatment for varicose and spider veins. It involves injecting a chemical solution into the veins. This injection causes the vein to shrink and disappear. Sclerotherapy is safe and effective for reducing the appearance of varicose veins.

• Surgery

In more severe cases, surgery may be necessary to remove the damaged veins.

• Non-surgical Treatment Options

Other than medical treatment, there are several measures you can take at home to improve venous insufficiency. These may include lifestyle changes such as:

• Wearing compression stockings to compress the damaged veins by applying pressure to the legs. This improves blood flow and reduces swelling in the legs.

• Wearing loose-fitting clothes

• Elevating your legs when sleeping or sitting

• Avoid sitting or standing for long periods if you have varicose veins

• Practicing healthy eating habits and exercising regularly

• Avoiding smoking

Working with a qualified healthcare professional is essential for whichever treatment option you choose. This will ensure you get the best possible results in managing venous insufficiency.

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) can sneak up on you. Many people have it and may not even know it.

This is because the symptoms develop slowly over time, and not everyone with PAD experiences them. And if they do, the symptoms are usually mistaken as signs of aging.

The good news is, once PAD is diagnosed, it can usually be treated.

This article will cover symptoms and treatment, but first, let’s take a look at what PAD actually is.

What is Peripheral Artery Disease?

Peripheral artery disease is a blood circulation problem. It develops when plaque builds up inside the arteries, narrowing, or even blocking, the space through which oxygenated blood flows to the legs and feet.

While most common in the legs and feet, PAD can also develop in the arms.

The leading cause of PAD is the buildup of plaque, which mostly consists of fat and cholesterol. This buildup is called atherosclerosis, which also hardens the arteries.

Peripheral Artery Disease Symptoms

It’s always a good idea to see a doctor if you’re experiencing any symptoms of peripheral artery disease.

One of the most common symptoms is intermittent claudication, which is pain in the muscles that occurs during physical activity and subsides with rest.

The American Heart Association lists other PAD symptoms:

• Leg weakness or numbness
• Muscle cramping in the legs while walking, climbing stairs, or exercising
• Leg pain that fails to subside after exercise
• Wounds or sores on the foot or toes that fail to heal or heal slowly
• Discoloration of the skin in the foot
• Dead tissue (gangrene)
• Decreased temperature of leg or foot compared to other parts of the body
• Slower growth of hair or nails on feet and legs
• Reduced pulse in legs or feet

Peripheral Artery Disease Causes

The major risk factors and causes of peripheral artery disease are the same as those of atherosclerosis in the coronary and neck arteries.

People living with PAD have an increased risk of developing coronary artery disease, and of suffering a stroke or a heart attack. If PAD is left untreated, it can also lead to amputation.

Please consider getting screened for PAD if you exhibit any of the following risk factors:

• Diabetes
• Peripheral neuropathy (tingling or numbness in the hands and/or feet)
• High cholesterol
• Hypertension
• Obesity
• History of smoking
• Are over the age of 65
• Foot or leg wounds or ulcers
• One foot colder than the other
• History of heart attack or stent
• Family history of PAD

The presence of three or more of these risk factors makes the risk of developing PAD 10 times more likely.

Peripheral Artery Disease Statistics

Peripheral artery disease affects a significant number of people. Early diagnosis and treatment is the best way to prevent severe complications.

A look at facts and statistics about the disease reveal its prevalence, and the consequences of putting off treatment.

• 8 million to 12 million Americans live with PAD. That’s more people who live with PAD than all types of cancer combined
• Up to 40% of people living with PAD don’t experience leg pain
• Roughly 40% of Americans have been formally diagnosed with PAD
• When treated early, up to 90% of PAD-related amputations can be avoided, studies suggest
• Currently, as much as 25% of people living with diabetes are at risk of losing part of their leg or foot due to PAD
• While roughly 50% of people living with PAD are asymptomatic, they’re at an increased risk of stroke, mortality, and myocardial infarction (when one or more areas of the heart muscle doesn’t receive enough oxygen)
• Among people diagnosed with PAD, around 11% have critical limb ischemia (CLI). In CLI, the blood supply to the limb is insufficient to meet the resting metabolic needs of the tissue, causing persistent pain, skin ulceration, and gangrene
• 54% of amputations in the United States are a result of PAD
• In the United States, the mortality rate one year after major amputation is about 48%

Regular checkups with your doctor and awareness of the symptoms of PAD go a long way in identifying and addressing complications early, and preventing them from progressing to the point where amputation is required.

Treatment for Peripheral Artery Disease

Peripheral artery disease can be treated if it’s diagnosed early.

The treatment for PAD depends on the patient and the severity of the disease. All patients with PAD are advised to maintain a healthy diet and take medications as prescribed.

If the patient is a smoker, it’s very likely his or her doctor will ask him or her to stop smoking and begin a structured walking program, if possible.

If the disease can’t be managed with these lifestyle changes alone, other options for treatment are peripheral artery bypass surgery, or endovascular intervention, which is MG Heal’s specialty.

Who is the Best Doctor for Peripheral Artery Disease?

Vascular surgeons, interventional cardiologists, and interventional radiologists treat peripheral artery disease.

All the physicians at MG Heal are trained to revascularize the arteries below the knee, including the pedal loop, which provides blood flow to the feet and toes.

MG Heal’s physicians provide specialized care:

• Practice focused exclusively on lower extremity PAD diagnosis and treatment
• Expertise in advanced limb salvage techniques targeting the small vessel from the ankle to the toe
• Dedicated outpatient vascular testing staff by nationally registered vascular sonographers
• Outpatient catheterization lab services in a safe, easily accessible office setting
• Center of excellence in the areas of patient care, referral coordination, education, and research

Prefer to speak to someone instead? Schedule an evaluation with MG Heal.