Dr. A. Ramsey Abadir is a leading expert in treating uterine fibroids with uterine fibroid embolization (UFE). In this article, Dr. Abadir explains what happens during UFE and how it treats uterine fibroids.
Who is at Most Risk for Developing Uterine Fibroids?
Uterine fibroids are an extremely common benign tumor of the uterus that affects all women. There is a slightly increased risk for black women. The body tends to develop fibroids when estrogen levels are high. Women typically experience symptomatic uterine fibroids around puberty and during menopause.
When Should You See a Doctor for Uterine Fibroids?
Many women have uterine fibroids diagnosed either by physical examination or ultrasound. However, the majority of the time, fibroids do not cause any issues. Fibroids are very common, benign tumors in the uterus that do not have the propensity to turn into cancer. They warrant medical attention when symptoms arise.
The symptoms can be anything from increased pain during the menstrual cycle to increased menstrual flow, frequency, or length of the menstrual cycle. Other symptoms would be increasing pelvic cramping pain during the menstrual cycle. Less common but still prevalent symptoms from uterine fibroids that might prompt medical attention would be pain during intercourse as well as bulk symptoms pushing on the bladder or the back, which are adjacent to the uterus.
How Does Uterine Fibroid Embolization Treat Uterine Fibroids?
Many treatments are available for uterine fibroids and the symptoms that they cause. One of the treatments is uterine fibroid embolization, which deprives the fibroids of their blood supply. Any part of your body that doesn’t have a blood supply can’t survive and essentially dies. Once we deprive the fibroids of their blood supply, then the body cleans up the fibroid from the outside in with special cells that degrade the fibroids.
How Does Uterine Fibroid Embolization Work
The purpose of embolization is to take away the blood supply to the fibroids. Essentially then they can’t get oxygen and food or get rid of waste, and the cells die in place. The body then recognizes that tissue as being devitalized and it sends in other cells that slowly degrade the fibroids from the outside in and turn them into a little ball of scar tissue.
What is the Difference Between the Recovery of UFE and a Hysterectomy?
Hysterectomies have been used to treat uterine fibroids for a long time. Typically, the procedure requires either an incision or laparoscopic repair. As such, there are sutures and wounds that need to heal, and the recovery can take anywhere up to six weeks for a hysterectomy.
In comparison, uterine fibroid embolization is typically performed through a needle hole in an artery, either in the groin or the wrist. While there is a five to seven day recovery time after UFE, that is generally for overcoming the symptoms of pain, nausea, or cramping after the procedure rather than an incision.
Why Should a Patient Consider Having UFE at an Outpatient Center?
In general, outpatient centers offer a quicker experience without the usual delays that occur in a hospital. The advantages of the outpatient setting are also usually a much more personal experience. There is more attention directed towards you rather than many other patients who are being treated for other conditions at the same time. Additionally, the outpatient setting has less exposure to patients who have various infectious diseases, such as COVID-19.
Request a Consultation with Dr. Abadir
If you are at risk for developing uterine fibroids or are experiencing symptoms, request a consultation for uterine fibroid embolization with Dr. Abadir at Fishkill Endovascular today.