What: August 24, Wall Street Journal reports that women are uninformed about their treatment options for uterine fibroids, which still accounts for 200,000 hysterectomies annually, in spite of a widely available non-surgical treatment -- uterine fibroid embolization.
Uterine fibroids are the most frequent indication for hysterectomy in pre-menopausal women and result in one-third of the 600,000 hysterectomies performed annually in the United States.
Up to 40 percent of women age 35 and older have non-cancerous uterine fibroids, which cause heavy bleeding, as well as pain in the back, legs, pelvis, and during intercourse. A widely available minimally invasive procedure, known as uterine fibroid embolization, often replaces the need for hysterectomy surgery, but remains widely underutilized. It's important for women to ask questions, obtain consults with different types of specialists, and know all of their treatment options.
Uterine Fibroid Embolization (UFE), also known as uterine artery embolization, is performed by an interventional radiologist who makes a tiny nick in the skin, less than a one-fourth of an inch, in the groin and inserts a catheter into the femoral artery. Using real-time imaging, the physician guides the catheter through the artery and then releases tiny particles, the size of grains of sand, into the uterine arteries that supply blood to the fibroid tumor. This blocks the blood flow to the fibroid tumor, causing it to shrink and disruptive symptoms to subside. The particles are FDA approved for uterine fibroid embolization, based on comparative studies showing UFE to offer similar efficacy with less serious complications compared to surgery. UFE is effective for multiple fibroids, and offers less risk, less pain and less recovery time than hysterectomy—as well as preserves the uterus. On average, 90 percent of women who have the procedure experience significant or total relief of heavy bleeding and other symptoms.
Interventional radiologists are board-certified physicians who are trained to perform minimally invasive targeted treatments using imaging for guidance.
Supplemental materials available: * Interview with local interventional radiologist* Broadcast quality video footage, includes national expert, patient and procedure footage* Medical illustration of treatment for print publication or web site
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