Fibroid Embolization

Uterine fibroids are are a common problem, affecting one quarter of all women and resulting in 200,000 hysterectomies yearly in the United States. Hysterectomy, while highly effective in controlling fibroid symptoms, is a major surgical procedure that requires many weeks of recovery.

Uterine fibroid embolization (UFE) is a new and far less invasive mechanism of treatment. A tiny tube is threaded through a small incision in the groin to the arteries that supply the fibroid. Then, through the tube, small particles called emboli are injected to block fibroid blood flow. Without blood flow, the fibroids and their symptoms shrink dramatically. UFE (also known as uterine artery embolization, or UAE) can be performed in under two hours and most patients are able to leave the hospital within a day or less. To learn more about this exciting advance in women's healthcare, visit UFE at OHSU at http://www.ohsu.edu/fibroid/.