What is Uterine Artery Embolization (UAE)?
UAE is a technique performed by specialized interventional physicians under local anesthesia. A small catheter is inserted into a blood vessel in your groin and threaded into the arteries to your uterus. Small particles are injected through the catheter to decrease blood flow to the fibroids, which usually causes them to shrink. In most patients, bleeding and pressure-related symptoms are significantly reduced.
Uterine artery embolization (UAE) is a radiological procedure recently introduced as an alternative treatment for symptomatic uterine fibroids. The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology cautions about its potential for infection and other serious complications requiring emergency surgery. The radiologist introduces a catheter, usually through the right femoral artery, into each of the two uterine arteries, which supply blood to the uterus and, in turn, to the fibroids. A solution containing small particles is injected into the uterine arteries. The particles occlude the branches of the uterine arteries (blood outflow) and thereby drastically reduce blood supply to the uterus and the fibroids. The procedure is usually done under conscious sedation and local anesthesia, without general anesthesia. Return to Top UAE – Outcome and Success Rate Six months after UAE the average fibroid is reduced in size by 40-60%. Reportedly, UAE reduces uterine bleeding and symptoms related to uter
Uterine artery embolization, also called uterine fibroid embolization, is a new, less invasive treatment for uterine fibroids performed by an interventional radiologist. In this procedure, blood supply to the fibroid tumors is blocked, making them shrink. As an alternative to hysterectomy, uterine artery embolization preserves a woman’s uterus, maintains her hormonal cycles, and requires far less recovery time. During uterine artery embolization, a thin tube, called a catheter, is inserted through a blood vessel in the leg and guided by fluoroscopic images to the blood vessels that feed the fibroids of the uterus. Tiny plastic or sponge-like particles are injected to stop blood flow to the fibroids. Once blood flow to the fibroids is cut off, they shrink gradually over the next weeks and months.
