Why UFE is the Most Underused of Fibroid Treatment Options

This article was medically authored by Dr. Eric Hardee and was last reviewed for accuracy on 07/20/2026.

We need to talk about your fibroid treatment options. Right now, in the U.S. alone, 26 million pre-menopausal women are affected by uterine fibroids. In fact, these tumors are one of the main reasons why women get a hysterectomy. And that's a shame, since most women prefer an option that lets them keep their uterus—and their fertility. In this post, we highlight options that allow you to keep your uterus, including ones that shrink the tumors while avoiding surgery altogether.   

Key Takeaways

• Uterine Fibroid Embolization (UFE) shrinks fibroids without surgery, reducing the symptom burden and preserving the uterus
• Hysterectomy is still the most commonly used fibroids treatment option, even though a majority of women want to undergo uterus-preserving treatments

Uterine Fibroids Treatment Options 

Up to 80% of women will develop uterine fibroids by the age of 50, but approximately 25% of those affected will have symptoms that require treatment. African American women have a greater risk of developing fibroids, and a higher percentage of women who have fibroids will experience symptoms from them.

Unfortunately, women with fibroid symptoms such as heavy periods wait an average of 4 years before trying to seek treatment. And many women may only speak with their gynecologist about fibroid symptoms and treatment, never learning about uterine fibroid embolization from an interventional radiologist. (If you’re already committed to UFE, follow these steps to prepare for a uterine fibroid embolization procedure.)

Understanding Fibroids Treatment Options: Why it Matters

In one study, 51% of women who had symptomatic uterine fibroids felt that it was important to have a treatment option that preserved the uterus regardless of whether they wanted to plan a pregnancy or not. That was the case for our patient, Kawanna, whose story you can explore in the video below

Like Kawanna, the percentage of women under 40 who wanted a uterus-sparing treatment option is significantly higher. However, a hysterectomy is still the most widely used treatment.

Knowing the benefits and risks of each type of fibroid procedure can help you and your physicians make the best decision for your treatment plan. You should also ask yourself important questions such as what kind of symptoms are most troubling to you; whether you still wish to expand your family; and whether you want to resolve your concerns or manage your condition. Here are some key facts to consider when exploring each of your options:

Hysterectomy

The majority of hysterectomies performed in the US, about 600,000 procedures annually, are performed because of uterine fibroids. A hysterectomy typically requires an average of more than 2 days in the hospital and a 2-6 week recovery period, much longer than the recovery period for UFE. Following surgery, many women are left with a leaky bladder, weak pelvic floor muscles and other complications. Plus, choosing a hysterectomy means you'll never be able to carry a child, and you’ll immediately enter menopause.

Myomectomy

A myomectomy is another uterus-sparing treatment option. With this surgery, providers remove individual tumors from your uterus. But there's always a risk that doctors will miss one or more fibroid, leaving you with symptoms. Plus, for every fibroid removed, there's a risk of scarring on your uterus. Finally, following surgery, up to 1/3 of fibroids will recur. And about 10% of women undergo a hysterectomy within 5-10 years of undergoing myomectomy.

Uterine Fibroid Embolization

UFE is a safe and effective outpatient procedure. This fibroid treatment option preserves your uterus and shrinks uterine fibroids. And it does so without any blood loss. But how does it work?

First, we inject an embolic particle into your uterine artery, which will stop blood flow to your fibroids starving them from oxygen. We do this through a tiny catheter that is introduced through an artery at your wrist. Your uterus will remain intact during and after the UFE procedure as this therapy is only targeted towards the uterine fibroids.  90% of women experience major improvements in fibroid symptoms in the weeks and months following uterine fibroid embolization. And that’s why we want more women to learn about and explore this fibroids treatment option. So that more women can avoid unnecessary hysterectomies and live their post-treatment lives with greater ease.

Do you have symptoms caused by fibroids? We invite you to request an appointment at one of our seven Texas Endovascular locations. When you come into any of our offices, you can learn more about the UFE procedure and explore your candidacy.