Uterine Fibroid Embolization?

I've had both a UFE (in my case a UA(artery)E) and a hysterectomy. I was part of an experiment to use emobilization to treat adenomyosis (based on the fact that there were patients with both fibroids and adeno who got relief from the proceedure). I did have fibroids but they were small in comparison to the affects of the adeno.

I don't regret doing the emobilization at all and would recommend it to other people.

1) You aren't removing an organ from your body (so a lot less possible side effects). 2) recovery time is a lot shorter. 3) It can provide relief even if it isn't 100% sucessful (I had relief from my symptoms for over a year - and this was for adeno). 4) Women have gotten pregnant after an emobilization. It usually isn't recommened if you want children because there is not enough information on the proceedure's effect on a woman's fertility--however for me there was a psychological difference between small chance and 0 chance.

There was quite a bit of pain the first 2 days after the adeno. However, it beats the weeks of recovery time and weakness from the Hysterectomy.

Make sure your radiologist is experienced in the proceedure. Overall most side effects can be avoided this way. My radiologist didn't have the best bedside manner but he had a lot of experience with UFE, and there was a nurse in his practice that specialized in working with women for UFE patients.

I believe I have a different take on this. I have had 3 gyn opinions and they all said the same thing, hyst. But the UFE procedure looked very appealing to me. Then I saw an MRI of my
pelvic region. Oh my goodness! I have a tremendous amount of
vascular activity going on. And if you have researched UFE you know the 1 drawback is that fibroids CAN find other blood sources. I realized seeing that MRI that they would have to block
off alot more supplies than the usual and I could still grow more
fibroids in the future. See, I already have 6 and I'm only 42. So
since I don't want kids, or Aunt Flo, when the time is right I will
have the hyst....Everyone's advice on this has been great. Get
as much info as you can. And if you can look at your "pictures"
and tests yourself, please do so. It really helped me to make
my decision.....

I had a UAE on July 1. It was NOT painful for me - they kept me loaded up with Demerol during my night in the hospital and I was having trouble coming up with a pain level of "1" even. After I left the next day I took ibuprofen, and felt mild cramping the first 2 days, nothing after that. My bladder symptoms have improved, my first period was well-behaved. I can still feel the biggest fibroid up front, but hopefully it will shrink some as time passes. If things don't ever get any better than this I will still be glad I did it, and even if they get worse again there is always the hyst option. Everyone's experience with this procedure is slightly different, but it was a far cry from the "horrible, excruciating pain" 2 gyns warned me about. The thing is that gyns don't perform the procedure, so they tend to 1) not get the feedback from patients on their experience, just hear about it from other gyns 2) not know as much about it as the radiologists who perform it, and so mistrust it a bit.

A great place to learn about UAE is the <embo> group at Yahoo. This way you can hear about it from the horses' mouths - lots of women who've had it - rather than from folks who have a vested interest in scaring women away from it (gyns who make a living from performing surgeries).

It may not be for everyone, but it is certainly an option to consider.