After a UFE, you should see a decrease in the amount of bleeding you experience, but it shouldn’t go away altogether. Dr. Linda Hughes, M.D. gives all the details about what you should see after your procedure.

“Ideally after a fibroid embolization, the patients should still have their period. It should be a regular menstrual cycle and if heavy bleeding is been a part of the symptomatology, that heavy bleeding should resolve. Typically 90% of women within the first menstrual cycle will notice the difference in terms of heavy bleeding, the other 10% can take two to three cycles before they notice the difference in their symptoms. In a small percentage of patients, we had mentioned that one of the complications, can be going into menopause, and if the patient goes into menopause as a result of the embolization obviously they won’t continue to have a period.”

See Dr. Suzanne Slonim’s answer to this question.

 

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Uterine fibroid embolization is a procedure used to block the blood flow to the fibroids, causing them to shrink. Therefore, it is unlikely that the fibroids will come back. Dr. Linda Hughes, M.D., details the process.

“It is extremely unusual, if a patient has a successful fibroid embolization, for the symptoms to return. In a small amount of patients there can be some blood flow coming off of another source, such as the ovary. Often times in that situation if it’s a young woman and they haven’t had their children yet, we choose to be conservative and don’t embolize the ovarian arteries. So there are some women that will have some relief, a partial relief but will need to have a second embolization on that basis.”

See Dr. Suzanne Slonim’s answer to this question.

 

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• What happens to fibroids after the blood supply is cut off?
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Many women are concerned that UFE will not work because their fibroids are too large. Fibroids of any size can be treated with UFE, but it may not be the best solution for every woman. Dr. Linda Hughes, M.D., explains.

“We’re able to embolize a fibroid of any size. The question is whether or not it’s appropriate for the individual. Each patient is different and it’s important for us to review the MRI because that gives us a good idea of the size, number, location and the vascularity of the fibroids in the uterus.

“So, to answer that question we can embolize a fibroid of any size, but often times there are certain fibroids that are so large that the patient may benefit from a myomectomy or a hysterectomy in terms of the pain and the cramping and the recovery process afterwards.”

See Dr. Suzanne Slonim’s answer to this question.

 

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Uterine fibroid embolization involves blocking the blood supply to the fibroids, no matter how many you have. Dr. Linda Hughes, M.D., gives more details.

“Many women are concerned that if they have multiple or many fibroids that they’re not a candidate for this procedure. The vast majority of women that we see and that we treat actually do have more than one fibroid. It does not matter how many fibroids, whether a patient has 1 or 101 fibroids, the way the procedure is designed by embolizing both uterine arteries, we’re knocking off and cutting off the blood supply to all of the fibroid tissue.”

 

You might also enjoy:

• Will Uterine Fibroid Embolization (UFE) be able to treat very large fibroids?
• Will my fibroids or the symptoms of my fibroids come back?
• Why Would Someone Need a Second UFE?

 

Your body may go through several changes after your uterine fibroid embolization procedure as you adjust to decreased symptoms related to fibroids. Dr. Linda Hughes details the process you will go through.

“After a uterine fibroid embolization, the blood flow is cut off to the fibroids, and several things happen. Number one, the fibroids are going to decrease in size, and typically most fibroids are in the wall of the uterus, so that they’re going to shrink, and scar and retract into the wall.

“Secondly, since you’ve cut off the blood flow, it’s going to correct the bleeding a lot of women present with heavy bleeding in passing blood clots and having issues with anemia. That should correct itself. Just as important as the shrinkage is the remaining fibroid tissue, which is also going to be a lot softer, so it’s not going to have the same pressure or mass effect on the bladder, back, or on some of the nerves in the area.

“In a small percentage of women, some of the fibroids can actually be sticking into the lining of the uterus, and in that situation, we know with the MRI and the ultrasound imaging prior to the procedure that they have a submucosal component, which is the part of the fibroid inside of the lining. We counsel women just to be aware that they might have to wear a little mini pad or a liner for the first maybe 4-6 weeks because there may be some mucus or watery discharge. This is the portion of the fibroid that is in the lining so they are not going to expel an entire fibroid, but they may have some discharge.”

See Dr. Suzanne Slonim’s answer to this question.

 

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Normally, your interventional radiologist and your OB/GYN will work together to coordinate your follow-up care. Dr. Linda Hughes, M.D., explains what she does as the interventional radiologist.

“Typically in terms of follow up care after a uterine fibroid embolization, patients will be seen in the office by the Interventional Radiologist, usually 7 to 10 days after the procedure. It’s an opportunity for us to be able to review the films that we’ve obtained during the procedure with the patients. It gives us an opportunity to examine the patient as well as to see how their recovery time is and a lot of women need to have paper work filled up prior to returning to their full time activities at work.

“Beyond that initial post-operative period, we usually do follow up imaging and depending on the individual, it could be at six months, it could be at 12 months and we also encourage the patient that they are to maintain their annual appointment with their gynecologist.”

See Dr. Suzanne Slonim’s answer to this question.

 

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Uterine fibroid embolization is a less invasive procedure with a short recovery time and low risk of complications. The doctors that perform your treatment will make sure you are ready to go home before they discharge you. Dr. Linda Hughes, M.D., explains.

“The uterine fibroid embolization procedure can be performed either in a hospital environment or in an outpatient interventional center. At the outpatient interventional center typically the recovery and observation is between six to eight hours and patients are discharged home when we have adequate pain control with oral medication.

“Other patients that may have other medical comorbidities such as diabetes, multiple allergies, other health issues, that we decide it’s safer for it to be performed in the hospital environment typically will stay over night and go home the next morning, so it’s considered a 23 hour observation admission.”

See Dr. Suzanne Slonim’s answer to this question.

 

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The typical recovery period for uterine fibroid embolization is around 7-14 days, but every woman is different in terms of how long she will need. Dr. Linda Hughes, M.D., explains what is normal for most of her patients.

“Typically I ask patients to take two weeks off from work. The average recovery time is between seven and ten days, and typically the recovery time is crampy, bloated, uncomfortable. I have had the whole range from, I’ve had women back to work in three days, and I’ve had women that have taken the full two weeks to recover. But typically the recovery time, usually by day seven or eight, most women are back to their regular activities in terms of work, exercise, and sexual activity.”

See Dr. Suzanne Slonim’s answer to this question.

 

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• How long should I expect to stay in the hospital?
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The doctors that perform UFE procedures use the products that will be most beneficial for their patients. Dr. Linda Hughes explains why she continues to use Embosphere.

“I use Embospheres for my uterine fibroid embolizations. There are several different products that are available on the market. One is PVA which is polyvinyl alcohol or a plastic bead. The other, Embosphere, is a gelatin product. I like the fact that it’s a gelatin product. I like the fact that it’s an inert substance, and there’ve been no reports of any side effects to the gelatin substance, as well as the fact that this product was the the first one that had FDA approval specifically for fibroid embolizations.”

See Dr. Suzanne Slonim’s answer to this question.

 

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• What are Possible Side Effects of Uterine Fibroid Embolization?
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The doctors that take care of you during and after your procedure will do everything they can to make sure you’re comfortable and have everything you need. Dr. Linda Hughes, M.D., details what kind of experience you’ll have with UFE.

“In terms of how you will feel during the actual procedure, it’s performed with what we call a moderate or twilight sedation, so the patient is very comfortable with the sedation agent as well as the pain medication.

“The first 12-18 hours can be uncomfortable in terms of cramping and abdominal pelvic discomfort, the patients are given non steroidal anti inflammatories, such as ibuprofen, as well as a small dose of a narcotic to keep them comfortable. Usually that cramping lasts for about seven to ten days, the first one to two days being the worst, and each day, gradually the cramping improves.”

See Dr. Suzanne Slonim’s answer to this question.

 

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