After UFE treatment
Millions of women experience symptomatic fibroids. Among the most effective treatment options for fibroids is uterine fibroid embolization (UFE).
UFE is a treatment option that offers exceptional outcomes for a diverse population of patients. It is a less invasive approach requiring a significantly shorter downtime than myomectomy or hysterectomy, yet it is often equally effective at shrinking fibroids to 30% of their size.
The procedure involves administering embolic materials through an arterial channel in the groin or wrist. The embolic agents inhibit the flow of blood to fibroids only, leaving the overall blood supply to the uterus intact. Without a reliable blood supply, the fibroids shrink considerably.
UFE offers a success rate of over 85%, making it an excellent non-surgical fibroid treatment that is superior to more invasive surgical interventions in many cases.
Nevertheless, if you are considering undergoing UFE, it will help you to understand what the procedure involves and how to prepare for it. It’s also important to know what to expect after UFE treatment.
At Texas Endovascular, we offer compassionate guidance throughout the treatment process. Our team of experienced and empathetic specialists is here to help from the moment you begin your preoperative consultation to your final post-operative UFE follow-up appointment. Here is what you need to know about UFE recovery.
What to expect on UFE treatment day?
Fibroid treatment with UFE does not require overnight stays. Typically, this fibroid procedure takes less than an hour.
During UFE treatment, a puncture is made in the radial or femoral artery. A catheter is guided through the artery using fluoroscopic X-ray technology. The catheter delivers embolic materials through the arterial vessel leading to the fibroids. Over time, the embolic agent inhibits blood flow to the tumors, causing them to significantly shrink.
When the embolization has been completed, the catheter is withdrawn, and a special closure device is placed over the puncture site.
Although preparing for the procedure is crucial, proper post-procedure care is equally important to ensure optimal outcomes after UFE treatment.
What does UFE recovery involve?
It is common for women to feel abdominal cramping (resembling menstrual cramps or labor pains) following uterine fibroid treatment.
A nerve block is performed after the procedure to drastically reduce post-op pain and medications are prescribed to patients for pain management.
Occasionally, some people who've undergone UFE experience flu-like symptoms, which might include the following:
- Mild fever
- Abdominal discomfort
- Nausea
- Chills
- Low energy
Upon discharge after UFE treatment, your doctor will provide information on how to take care of yourself post-UFE. It usually takes 7 to 10 days for patients to return to work and regular activity after UFE treatment.
Patients require UFE follow-up for 1 year. They will have one appointment scheduled 1 week after the procedure and the others 3, 6, 9 and 12 months later to monitor the fibroids after uterine fibroid embolization.
Recover quickly after effective uterine fibroid treatment
If you are experiencing fibroid symptoms that are impacting your daily activities and quality of life, you should consider uterine fibroid embolization treatment right away.
Offering an effective and efficient way to treat fibroid symptoms at the source, UFE is one of the most successful ways to preserve your uterus and relieve your symptoms quickly. When you visit Texas Endovascular, you don’t have to live with daily fibroid pain.
As a non-surgical fibroid treatment with little to no downtime, life after UFE is pain-free, allowing you to resume a higher quality of life and return to the things you love quickly.
Contact us today to learn more and schedule your appointment at one of our convenient locations to begin a future without fibroids.
