Uterine fibroids, which can cause pain and bleeding, affect up to 40 percent of women ages 35 and older.
Until recently, the primary treatment with known, long-term success for these women was a hysterectomy.
Uterine fibroid embolization is another much less invasive procedure that has now been shown to have excellent long-term results. Uterine fibroid embolization delivers medicine that shrinks the blood supply directly to the fibroid and offers less risk, less pain, and less recovery time than surgery.
"Women who undergo this procedure are back on their feet within days, rather than the months it might take to recuperate from the surgery of a hysterectomy," says Michael Brunner, MD, chief of interventional radiology and co-chair of the radiology department at Swedish Covenant Hospital in Chicago.
Working closely with the patient's gynecologists, Brunner and interventional radiologist Adam Finkelstein, MD, can offer a valuable option to patients who wish to avoid invasive surgery.
"I have spoken to women who have had a hysterectomy who weren't aware that UFE was an option," says Dr. Finkelstein. "It is so important for symptomatic women to know all their options, so they can make the best choice based on their physician's recommendations."
"It gives women a choice and more control over what happens to their bodies," Dr. Brunner adds.
For more information about uterine fibroid embolization, call 773-989-6242.
