Many patients are not informed by their OB/GYN (Obstetrician/Gynecologist) doctors that Uterine Fibroid Embolization (UFE) is a therapeutic option for treatment of symptomatic fibroids. The lack of referrals can likely be attributed to the training of OB/GYN doctors, and their history of treating fibroids. Very few OB/GYN doctors receive instruction on how to perform UFE as a treatment for fibroids in their residency training. Because this procedure is usually performed by an interventional radiologist in a specially designed x-ray room, training doctors in OB/GYN rarely have the opportunity to learn this procedure from the other OB/GYN doctors training them. Also, for almost 100 years, OB/GYN doctors have been surgically treating symptomatic fibroids with hysterectomy. The hysterectomy procedure has been such a long standing practice that many OB/GYNs fail to recognize that other procedures for treatment of fibroids could be equally effective and still preserve a woman’s uterus. Although hysterectomy certainly is effective for fibroids, it comes at the expense of a woman’s fertility, and requires a long postoperative recovery period. Simply because a medical procedure has been in place for such a long time, certainly doesn’t mean it is the best therapy for every patient.

Most patients I have treated for Uterine Fibroid Embolization have referred themselves after researching treatment options for symptomatic fibroids on the Internet. Many tell me that their OB/GYN did not offer UFE as an option for their treatment. In fact, occasionally, some patients will come to me at the objection of their OB/GYN doctors, who feel strongly that hysterectomy is their only option for treatment. Unfortunately, this misinformation is at the expense the patient, who relies on their doctor for unbiased information and full disclosure of all treatment options.

The safety and effectiveness of UFE has been well documented in hundreds of articles in recognized medical journals. In fact, in 2008, the American College of OB/GYNs published a recommendation recognizing UFE as a safe and effective treatment for fibroids based on sound scientific information. UFE has been practiced for over 20 years and consistently demonstrates itself has an excellent, non-invasive therapy for treatment of fibroids. As an Interventional Radiologist who practices UFE, it is discouraging to know that this procedure is not being offered to all patients by their physicians because of out of date treatment standards.

If you have any additional questions about this procedure, please contact me at Sound Vascular and Vein and we can discuss if fibroid embolization is the best treatment option for you.

For more detailed information, please refer to the link below sponsored by SIR, the Society for Interventional Radiology whose members pioneered and practice this procedure. http://www.sirweb.org/patients/uterine-fibroids/