Uterine fibroids are benign muscular growths, and they are extraordinarily common. What varies is how much trouble they cause. Some are silent. Others produce bleeding heavy enough to cause anemia, periods that last for weeks, pelvic pressure, a visibly distended abdomen, pain with intercourse, constipation, or the constant need to urinate that comes from a fibroid pressing on the bladder.
For decades the definitive answer was hysterectomy. It works, and for some women it is genuinely the right choice — but it is major surgery, it ends fertility, and it is a very large intervention for a benign condition.
Uterine fibroid embolization treats the fibroids without removing anything. Fibroids depend on a rich, abnormal blood supply. We reach the uterine arteries through a catheter and release particles that block flow to the fibroids specifically, while the healthy uterine tissue, which has a different and more resilient blood supply, continues to be perfused. Deprived of their supply, the fibroids soften, shrink and stop bleeding.
UFE is performed through a needle puncture, requires no incision and no general anesthesia, and most women go home the same day.
What the procedure involves
MRI first
Imaging tells us how many fibroids there are, where they sit, how large they are, and whether embolization is the right tool. It also rules out the small number of conditions that mimic fibroids.
Access at the wrist or groin
A needle enters the artery. A microcatheter is navigated to the uterine arteries under live X-ray guidance.
Selective embolization
Particles are released into the vessels feeding the fibroids on both sides. The healthy myometrium keeps its blood supply.
Same-day discharge
The catheter is removed. Cramping in the first twenty-four hours is expected and is managed with medication we send you home with.