Uterine Artery Embolization (UAE)

Uterine Fibroids

Fibroid tumors are non-cancerous (benign) growths that develop in the muscular wall of the uterus. While fibroids do not always cause symptoms, their size and location can lead to problems for some women, including pain and heavy bleeding. They typically improve after menopause when the level of estrogen, the female hormone that circulates in the blood, decreases dramatically. However, menopausal women who are taking supplemental estrogen (hormone replacement therapy) may not experience a relief of symptoms.

Fibroids can be located in the various parts of the uterus, causing different symptoms.

Fibroids range in size from very tiny to the size of a cantaloupe or larger. In some cases, they can cause the uterus to grow to the size of a five-month pregnancy or more. Fibroids may be located in various parts of the uterus. There are three primary types of uterine fibroids:

• Subserosal fibroids, which develop in the outer portion of the uterus and expand outward. They typically do not affect a woman's menstrual flow, but can become uncomfortable because of their size and the pressure they cause.
• Intramural fibroids, which develop within the uterine wall and expand, making the uterus feel larger than normal. These are the most common fibroids. This can result in heavier menstrual flows and pelvic pain or pressure.
• Submucosal fibroids are deep within the uterus, just under the lining of the uterine cavity. These are the leas common fibroids, but they often cause symptoms, including very heavy and prolonged periods.
• You might hear fibroids referred to by other names, including myoma, leiomyoma and fibromyoma.

Fibroids are very common, and often they are very small and cause no problems. However, 20 to 40 percent of women ages 35 and older have uterine fibroids of a significant size. African-American women are at a higher risk for fibroids - as many as 50 percent have fibroids of a significant

Typical Symptoms of Fibroids

Depending on location, size and number of fibroids, they may cause:

• Heavy, prolonged menstrual periods and unusual monthly bleeding, sometimes with clots. This often leads to anemia.
• Pelvic pain
• Pelvic pressure or heaviness
• Pain in the back or legs
• Pain during sexual intercourse
• Bladder pressure leading to a constant urge to urinate
• Pressure on the bowel, leading to constipation and bloating
• Abnormally enlarged abdomen

Diagnosis and Treatment

Fibroids are usually diagnosed during a gynecologic internal examination. Your doctor will conduct a pelvic exam to feel if your uterus is enlarged. The presence of fibroids is most often confirmed by an abdominal ultrasound. Fibroids also can be confirmed using magnetic resonance (MR) and computed tomography (CT) imaging techniques. Ultrasound, MR and CT are painless diagnostic tests. Appropriate treatment depends on the size

Most fibroids do not cause symptoms and are not treated. When they do cause symptoms, drug therapy often is the first step in the treatment. This might include a prescription for birth-control pills or other hormonal therapy, or the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen or naproxen sodium. In many patients, symptoms are controlled with these treatments and no other therapy is required. Some hormone therapies do have side effects and other risks when used long-term so they are generally used temporarily. Fibroids often grow back after

The next step is to try more invasive therapy. The most common treatment options include

• Uterine artery (or fibroid) embolization. An interventional radiologist makes a tiny incision in the groin and passes a small tube called a catheter through the artery. When the catheter reaches the uterine artery, the interventional radiologist slowly releases tiny plastic particles the size of grains of sand into the vessels. The particles flow to the fibroids first and wedge into the vessels and cannot travel to other parts of the body. This blocks the blood flow to the tumor, causing it to shrink.

• Myomectomy. Myomectomy is a surgical procedure that removes visible fibroids from the uterine wall. Myomectomy, like UAE, leaves the uterus in place and may, therefore, preserve the woman's ability to have children. There are several ways to perform myomectomy, including hysteroscopic myomectomy, laparoscopic myomectomy and abdominal myomectomy:
  • Hysteroscopic Myomectomy: Hysteroscopic myomectomy is used only for fibroids that are just under the lining of the uterus and that protrude into the uterine cavity. There is no need for a surgical incision. The doctor inserts a flexible scope (hysteroscope) into the uterus through the vagina and cervix and removes the fibroids using special surgical tools fitted to the scope. Usually this is an outpatient procedure performed while the patient is under anesthesia and not conscious.
  • Laparoscopic Myomectomy: Laparoscopic myomectomy may be used if the fibroid is on the outside of the uterus. Small incisions are made so the doctor can insert a probe with a tiny camera attached and another probe fitted with surgical instruments inside the abdominal cavity and remove the tumors. It is performed while the patient is under general anesthesia and not conscious. The average recover time is about two weeks.
  • Abdominal Myomectomy: This is a surgical procedure in which an incision is made in the abdomen to access the uterus, and another incision is made in the uterus to remove the tumor. Once the fibroids are removed, the uterus is stitched closed. The patient is given general anesthesia and is not conscious for this procedure, which requires a several-day hospital stay. While myomectomy is frequently successful in controlling symptoms, the more fibroids there are in a patient's uterus, generally, the less successful the surgery. In addition, fibroids may grow back several years after myomectomy.
• Hysterectomy. Approximately one-third of the more than half-million hysterectomies performed in the United States each year are due to fibroids. In a hysterectomy, the uterus is removed in an open surgical procedure. This operation is considered major surgery and is performed while the patient is under general anesthesia. It requires three to four days of hospitalization and the average recovery period is about six weeks. Some women are candidates for a newer, laparoscopic procedure. The recovery time for this procedure is considerably shorter. Hysterectomy is the most common current therapy for women who have fibroids. It is typically performed in women who have completed their childbearing years or who understand that after the procedure, they cannot become pregnant.

Source: Society of Interventional Radiology

For more in-depth information on fibroids and their treatment and to receive a referral please call: (62)397-8550