Uterine Fibroids
Uterine fibroids are common, benign tumors that grow from the muscular wall of the uterus. Approximately 5.5 million American women suffer from symptoms severe enough to require treatment, often by hysterectomy. Each year, 600,000 hysterectomies are performed in the U.S. and one-third of those are for symptomatic uterine fibroids.
As many as 80 percent of all women have uterine fibroids, which can cause the following symptoms:
- Heavy Bleeding
- Pelvic Discomfort
- Abdominal Bloating
- Anemia
- Leg pain
- Pressure on organs such as the bladder and bowels
The goal of the Uterine Fibroid Center at Baptist Medical Center South is to provide a non-surgical, minimally invasive alternative to a hysterectomy for women with symptomatic fibroids.
Hysterectomy vs. Uterine Fibroid Embolization
A hysterectomy is an invasive procedure that removes the entire uterus and requires a 4-6 week recovery period. Another option, a Myomectomy, removes the fibroids while sparing the uterus, but it is also a highly invasive procedure that requires a long recovery period.
An alternative that spares the uterus is Uterine Fibroid Embolization (UFE). This minimally invasive procedure, performed by an interventional radiologist, involves a small incision and a catheter guided into the uterine arteries, where small particles are injected into the blood vessels feeding the fibroids to block blood flow to the tumors. Most patients see rapid symptom relief, and over time the fibroids shrink.
Clinical studies have shown that UFE provides substantial improvement in major fibroid symptoms, including pain, pelvic discomfort and urinary problems:
- At the nine-month follow-up, 94 percent of women treated with UFE reported being satisfied with the procedure
- Women returned to their daily activities more than three times faster than those who had a hysterectomy