Sarah was a school principal. She kept an extra set of clothes in her desk drawer. Not for messy art projects — for herself. Because on some days, no amount of planning could keep her period from becoming a crisis.
She’d been told she had uterine fibroids. Her options, she was told, were hormonal medication or surgery — either remove the fibroids or remove her uterus entirely. Neither felt right.
What nobody told her was that there was a third option. One with no scalpel, no hospital stay, and no removal of anything. It’s called Uterine Fibroid Embolization — UFE for short.
What Are Uterine Fibroids?
Fibroids are non-cancerous growths that develop in or around the uterus. They’re incredibly common — up to 80% of women will develop fibroids by age 50. Many women have no symptoms at all. But for others, fibroids can cause:
- Very heavy or prolonged periods
- Pelvic pain or pressure
- Frequent urination (when fibroids press on the bladder)
- Pain during sex
- Bloating or a feeling of fullness in the lower abdomen
- Difficulty getting pregnant
How Does UFE Work?
UFE is performed by an interventional radiologist — a specialist who uses imaging to guide tiny instruments through the body without making large incisions.
Here’s what the procedure looks like:
- A small catheter (a thin, flexible tube) is inserted through a tiny opening at your wrist or groin — about the size of a pencil tip
- Using live X-ray imaging, the doctor guides the catheter to the uterine arteries that feed blood to your fibroids
- Tiny particles — smaller than grains of sand — are released into those arteries, blocking blood flow to the fibroids
- Starved of blood, the fibroids shrink. Symptoms typically begin improving within weeks and continue improving over 3–6 months
The procedure itself usually takes about 45–90 minutes.
✓ UFE has a clinical success rate of over 85–90% in reducing heavy bleeding.
✓ It has been performed for over 30 years and is endorsed by major OB-GYN organizations.
✓ UFE is covered by Medicare and most major insurance plans.
✓ Your uterus remains intact — nothing is removed.
UFE vs. Surgery: What’s the Difference?
Both myomectomy (fibroid removal) and hysterectomy (uterus removal) require general anesthesia, large incisions, and 4–6 weeks of recovery. UFE avoids all of that. It’s not right for every woman — your anatomy and fibroid type matter — but for many, it’s the option they wish they’d known about sooner.
Who Should Consider UFE?
- Women with diagnosed uterine fibroids causing symptoms
- Women who want to preserve their uterus
- Women who want to avoid major surgery or a lengthy recovery
- Women who haven’t had good results from hormonal treatments
Note: If you are hoping to become pregnant in the future, discuss this with your doctor. UFE is generally not the first recommendation for women planning pregnancy, though it has been performed successfully in this group.
You don’t have to choose between suffering and major surgery. There is a middle path.
Contact us today to schedule your UFE consultation.