fibroid embolization

Dr. Pradeep Muley M.D.
Senior Consultant Interventional Radiologist
Batra Hospital & Medical Research Centre
Mehrauli Badarpur Road, New Delhi – 110 062 INDIA
Mobile: 91-098104 92778,
E-mail:- fibroid@indianinterventionalradiology.in
Website:- http://www.indianinterventionalradiology.in

21st Century Medical Advancement in Women’s Health

Non-surgical treatment for uterine fibroids
(Uterine artery embolization for fibroid )

Uterine fibroids ( in Hindi-Rasauli) are the most frequent tumors of the female genital tract: Almost 77% women of childbearing age have a fibroid. An estimated 40% need treatment, many of whom are forced to go through emotional, physical and financial trauma of hysterectomy i.e removal of uterus. Others survive on pain medications.

Uterine fibroids range in size from very tiny to the large. In some cases, the uterus grow to the size of a five-month pregnancy or more. Fibroid may be located in various parts of the uterus..


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

1. Heavy, prolonged menstrual periods and unusual bleeding, sometime with clots. This might lead to anemia.
2. Lower abdomen, back or leg pain
3. Lower abdomen pressure or heaviness
4. Bladder pressure leading to a constant urge to urinate
5. Pressure on bowel, leading to constipation and bloating
6. Abnormally enlarged abdomen


The presence of fibroids is most often confirmed by a lower abdomen ultrasound scan. Fibroids can also be confirmed using MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan.

Treatment options for uterine fibroids: -

1. Medical Management.
2. Surgical Management and
3. Non Surgical treatment for fibroids ( Uterine artery embolization)

1. Medical Management: - Effective medical therapy is not available for management of fibroids. However some hormonal drugs in the form of injections have recently become available which are expensive (GnRH analogue) and this hormonal therapy cannot be used for long term basis because of its side effects.

2. Surgical Management: - Surgical removal of visible fibroids from the uterine wall (myomectomy) or removal of uterus (hysterectomy). The surgery is performed while the patient is under general anesthesia and not conscious. The hospital stay is about 5 to 10 days, the post-operative recovery period is of two to six weeks or more. It some time cause bleeding which may need blood transfusion, psychological trauma of removal of uterus and chances of infection. In addition, fibroids may grow back several years after laparoscopic myomectomy.

3. Non-surgical treatment for fibroids
(Uterine artery embolization for fibroids)

It is a minimally invasive Interventional Radiological procedure, which means it requires only a tiny nick in the skin. It is performed under local anesthesia – feeling no pain and usually requires a hospital stay of one night. Majority of women are able to return to normal activities within one to three days.

Ideal Patient for uterine artery embolization (UAE) meets four basic requirements:

1) They have single or multiple fibroids.
2) The fibroids are symptomatic.
3) Who do not desire pregnancy

UFE treats all uterine fibroids at the same time and is, therefore, extremely effective.

The interventional Radiologist makes a small nick in the skin at groin, inserts a catheter, identifies uterine artery by using angiography with contrast media injection and then inject embolization particles that block the tiny vessels supplying all the fibroids and it starts reducing in size. Symptoms due to the fibroids (like bleeding and pain) resolve within 1 – 2 days.

While embolization to treat uterine fibroids has been performed since 1995, embolization of the
Uterine artery is not new. It has been used successfully by interventional radiologist for over 20 years to treat heavy bleeding after childbirth.


Advantages of Non-surgical treatment of fibroids
(Uterine artery embolization)

1. It is performed under local anesthesia.
2. Requires only a tiny nick in the skin (No surgical incision of abdomen).
3. Recovery is shorter than from hysterectomy or laparoscopic myomectomy.
4. Virtually no adhesion formation has been found. But in surgery adhesions are common.
5. All fibroids are treated at once, which is not the case with myomectomy.
6. There has been no observed recurrent growth of treated fibroids.
7. Uterine fibroid embolization involves virtually no blood loss or risk of blood transfusion.
8. If the presenting complaint was excess vaginal bleeding, 90-99% of cases experiences resolution within 24 hours.
9. Emotionally, financially and physically – embolization can have an overall advantage over other procedures for the patient as the uterus is not removed.

This technique is considered a safe alternative to hysterectomy and laparoscopic myomectomy. It can be offered to patient with symptomatic fibroids who do not desire pregnancy. In-patients with a desire for pregnancy, UFE can be considered only if no other alternative is available.

Recently Dr. Pradeep Muley M.D. a Senior Consultant Interventional Radiologist at Batra Hospital & Medical Research Center, M.B.Road, New Delhi has made the India’s first UTERINE FIBROID CLUB for women who are suffering from uterine fibroids. For fibroid club you can visit his website http://www.indianinterventionalradiology.in/ This website will provide all information about fibroid. Dr. Muley has vast experience in interventional radiological procedures and he is trained from United States of America and Singapore and he has performed more then six thousands non surgical treatments for various disease in his carrier.

For more in-depth information on fibroids embolization call at mobile 91-098104 92778 or E-mail at fibroid@indianinterventionalradiology.in