What is involved in the embolization technique for treating uterine fibroids?
Interventional radiologists have worked with injecting various substances into the uterine vessels in an attempt to cut off the blood supply to the fibroids. Since the vessels come in from all around the periphery of the myoma, cutting off the blood supply and causing the center of to myoma to necrose. It becomes gangrenous but not infected because there are no bacteria there. The procedure takes about 1-1.5 hours and usually requires an overnight stay. Most patients experience moderate to severe pain afterwards for several hours. They may also have nausea, and possibly fever. The pain and nausea is controlled with intravenous medications, usually with a pump that allows self-administration of the medications. This is about the same degree of recovery as from an operative laparoscopy and almost as much as with a regular abdominal surgery. There may be severe cramping over several days and it may take 4 to 7 days for the pain to go away after the procedure. This is because the procedure
