As a woman, you play an essential role in maintaining your family’s health. Many women work so hard to keep their families together, but when they have issues with their well-being, they are silent and tend to battle health issues in silence. During recovery after delivering babies, some women have to deal with conditions they find difficult to discuss.
Fibroids are one of those conditions. These are smooth muscular tumors. The tumors form on the interior walls of a woman’s uterus in her childbearing years. 70 to 80 percent of women develop fibroids at the age of 50. Many ladies develop fibroids at 35, making up to 30 percent. We treat uterine fibroids through a method known as Uterine Fibroid Embolization (UFE).
When a woman has fibroids, they are likely to have the following symptoms:
- Heavy menstrual cycles
- Constipation
- Infertility
- Pelvic pressure
- Dizziness or fatigue
- Abdominal enlargement
- Increased urinary frequency
- Pain during intercourse
Fibroids are non-cancerous, but most women who have had them have opted for their removal. You should see a doctor immediately when you experience:
- Pelvic pain that does not go away
- Overly heavy and prolonged periods
- Difficulty in emptying your bladder
- Spotting between periods or bleeding
- Unexpected low red blood cell count
The doctors have not yet established the cause of fibroids, but these factors are common through research and clinical experience: hormones, genetic changes, extracellular matrix, and other growth factors.
What is Uterine Fibroid Embolization?
UFE is a process professionally handled by an interventional radiologist, and a vascular system specialist. It is a secure and effective procedure with over 85% success rate. UFE brings out a substantial reduction in the size of the fibroids. When done successfully, the symptoms usually improve significantly.
For instance, if you are a woman who has uterine fibroids and you struggle with a heavy menstrual flow, UFE will get you to a place where you have a regular flow. Of all the patients who undergo this treatment process, only 5 to 10 percent may need to redo embolization so that their symptoms can disappear completely.
Uterine Fibroid Embolization is minimally invasive, making it a suitable replacement for myomectomy, medication, or hysterectomy. The specialist inserts a catheter into the legs or wrist during this procedure. Then they inject tiny beads into the blood vessels supplying blood to the fibroids to stop the blood from flowing.
After the end of this procedure, the patient goes home, and the fibroids start shrinking gradually, then they die because they lack blood flow.
What are the Benefits and Risks of UFE?
Through UFE, patients have the advantage of both avoiding surgery and staying in the hospital, and that is because the process takes place in the office. Also, UFE does not cause trauma to the uterus, implying that your fertility status will remain intact, unlike in a hysterectomy.
The fact that you will not go through incisions during the process also means that with UFE, you will not experience complications. If there arises any difficulty, it will get treated so quickly. Significant risks in this process only add up to 1 percent, and the physician thoroughly explains that.
What Happens After Uterine Fibroid Embolization?
Because UFE happens to avoid major surgery, you will not stay in the hospital. Also, you will have a shorter recovery period than other procedures. For most patients, the physician does not give post-procedure restrictions, and you will only need a maximum of ten days to recover.
What you should expect to experience:
- Fever chills
- Breakthrough bleeding
- Chills
- Low energy levels
- Pelvic pain
You can liken most of these to a cold
Most patients experience a dramatic reduction of fibroids as soon as the next cycle. With UFE, you will need around three months for the benefits to show, and the fibroids often continue shrinking for the next six to nine months.
ECCO Medical has endovascular specialists trained in minimally invasive procedures. They professionally address problems affecting the vascular system, such as uterine fibroids.
Would you like to learn more about uterine fibroid embolization as an alternative to hysterectomy? Reach out now! At ECCO Medical, physicians are ready to answer your questions and advise you on the best way to go as you fight the fibroids. We are ready to walk with you in your treatment journey and give you the best results.