Jun 4, 2009 5:16 pm US/Eastern
HealthWatch: Uterine Fibroid Embolizations
New Procedure Provides Alternative To Hysterectomy For Uterine Fibroids
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
For women battling uterine fibroids, the cure often ends up being a hysterectomy – a surgery that can cause hair loss, the need for hormone replacement therapy, and a reduced sex drive.
Now, there's a procedure that can eliminate the pain and allow the woman to keep her uterus.
The symptoms of uterine fibroids are serious.
"[I experienced] excessive bleeding, a nauseous feeling before my cycle, frequency in urination, back pains," Kim Williams says.
Forty percent of all American women ages 35 to 55 have fibroid tumors, and 70 percent of all African American women will develop them – and most of them experience pain.
"You can imagine having something the size of a cantaloupe in your pelvis, what kind of pressure that can exert," interventional radiologist Dr. Jay Patel says.
Williams' fibroid tumors changed her life.
"I ended up having a hysterectomy," she says.
Dr. Patel says some hysterectomies for fibroids are unnecessary.
"Many women do not know about options that are out there," Dr. Patel says.
"I bled for like three months straight," Sanae Scott says.
Scott chose a newly approved procedure called uterine fibroid embolization, or UFE.
"The good thing is I keep my uterus," Scott says.
Each year, 600,000 women throughout the United States undergo hysterectomies, 200,000 of whom are seeking treatment for fibroid tumors. Now, UFE is a growing alternative for them.
With UFE, a small incision is made in the groin, and a syringe with a spaghetti-sized catheter is used to inject small particles into the uterine artery. Those particles cut off blood supply to the tumors, causing them to stop growing and, eventually, to shrink.
"The fibroids tend to shrink about 50 percent to 75 percent of their original size," Dr. Patel says.
UFE is not recommended for women who want to become pregnant in the future, nor is it appropriate for all types of fibroids. But as an alternative to hysterectomy, many women say it's right for them.
"This option, versus surgery, is the way to go – I mean, it's a no-brainer," Scott says.
UFE was approved by the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists last year. It can cause complications including infection and bleeding, and in some cases can result in the need for a hysterectomy.
The procedure is covered by many insurance programs.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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