X-Ray| CT | Interventional Radiology | Home • What are Uterine Fibroids?
• How is the Procedure Performed?
• What to Expect After a UFE Procedure
• What are the Side Effects & Risks?
• What are the Alternatives to UFE?
• Who Will Perform the Procedure?
• Steps to Take to Undergo a UFE Procedure A New Procedure for Treating Uterine Fibroids -
Without Surgery. A new procedure, Uterine Fibroid Embolization (UFE), now offers women a non-surgical alternative for treating fibroids. Embolization of uterine fibroids deprives the fibroid of its blood supply, “starving” it of nutrients. In the majority of patients the fibroid will shrink substantially, resulting in alleviation of symptoms. In the early 1990’s, French doctors noticed that patients who underwent uterine artery embolization for uterine bleeding also experienced shrinkage of uterine fibroids and relief of the related symptoms. This led to the investigation of UFE as a primary treatment for fibroids. Physicians in the U.S. began performing UFE in 1995. The procedure has been performed hundreds of times since its introduction. What is Embolization?
Embolization is a process where the arterial blood supply is cut off to an organ or tissues. The procedure has been used for more than 20 years to stop internal bleeding without surgery, to deprive a tumor of blood, or to pre-operatively reduce blood loss during surgery.
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