Fibroid Embolization

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Fibroid Embolization
MineOzkul
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Uterine Fibroids

• Benign growth of the muscular wall of the uterus
  that are kept nourished by estrogen and avid
  blood supply.
• Fibroids can be located in different parts of the
  uterus, causing different symptoms.

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Fibroids are typed according to location
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Fibroids Sonographically
TA
TV
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Treatment Options..

• Drug Therapy
• Fibroid Embolization
• Myomectomy
• Hysterectomy

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What is Fibroid Embolization?

• A laparascopic procedure which seeks to cut off
  blood supply to the fibroids causing fibroids to
  shrink.

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Fibroid Embolization can be an excellent
alternative to hysterectomy
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How new is embolization?

• Embolization of the uterus is not new and has
  been used successfully to treat heavy bleeding
  after child birth for over 20 years.
• Embolization to treat fibroids has been used
  since 1985.

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The Procedure

• Guided fluoroscopy allows an interventional
  radiologist to insert a catheter into the
  contralateral side of a femoral artery headed for
  the uterine artery through a ¼ inch nick in the
  groin.
• Injection of tiny plastic particles is introduced
  via the catheter that travel to the uterine
  artery and attach to the fibroids.

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Angiogram of Pre and Post Embolization
Bilateral uterine artery injection demonstrates
enlarged tortuous vessels supplying the fibroids.
After successful embolization, there is no
further flow of contrast, indicating no further
forward flow of blood to the fibroids
Pre-embolization angiogram
Post-embolization angiogram
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Uterine Fibroid Embolization
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Uterine Fibroid Embolization
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The Plastic Particles

• Are about the size of grains of sand.
• Flow to the fibroids first then wedge in the
  vessels that feed those fibroids.
• Cannot travel to any other part of the body.
• Over several minutes portions of the UT artery
  nearest the fibroids become blocked.
• Arterial flow will still be present to the normal
  potions of the uterus.

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• Over time, Fibroids shrink and typically
  disappear.

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Recovery

• May require a hospital stay of one night.
• Pain relieving medication and drugs to control
  swelling are typically used.
• Fever can occur and is treated w/ Tylenol.
• Many women resume light activities in a few days
  and the majority of women are able to return to
  normal activities within one week.

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How Successful is Fibroid Embolization?

• Recurrence of treated fibroids is very rare.
• Studies show that 78-94 of women treated
  experience significant or total relief of heavy
  bleeding, pain and associated symptoms.

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Risks

• Fibroid embolization is considered to be very
  safe, however, there are some associated risks,
  as there are with almost any medical procedure.

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These complication risks are lower than those of
hysterectomy and myomectomy

• Moderate to severe cramping during first several
  hours after the procedure.
• Nausea and fever.
• Infection
• 1 chance of injury to uterus.
• Small number of women enter menopause- Post
  Embolization Syndrome.

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References

• www.fibroidworld.com
• www.radiologyinfo.org/content/interventional/ufibr
  oid-embol.htm
• Fibroids.org
• Interventional Radiology. Uterine
  FibroidsTheir Symptoms and Treatment. Society
  of Interventional Radiology