Department of Radiology

Division of Vascular and Interventional Radiology

Uterine Artery Embolization for Fibroids

Uterine Artery Embolization (UAE) is an alternative treatment for Fibroids that is performed at The Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York.

At The Mount Sinai Medical Center, UAE was first performed to stop massive bleeding associated with pregnancy. This procedure proved to be quite effective. As a result, hysterectomy could be avoided, a great advantage for young women, who often desired future pregnancies.

Today, UAE is performed as part of a multimodal treatment regime for fibroids. Women are initially seen by an Interventional Radiologist or a Gynecologist. After an initial consultation, women for whom UAE is appropriate are referred for this treatment. Women with fibroids requiring treatment often have heavy bleeding, pain, or mass effect on adjacent organs, like the bladder, from the fibroid uterus. Patients have an initial sonogram and/or Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) prior to the embolization procedure. The patients are usually kept in the hospital overnight as part of the post-procedure pain management protocol. All groups performing this procedure have come to realize that the pain experienced for the first day after the embolization is best handled in the hospital.

Results reported thus far throughout the world have described a 45-50% average reduction in the uterine fibroid size following embolization. This result is accompanied by significant improvement or cure of symptoms in 80-90% of patients.

If you feel that you are a candidate for this treatment, the first step is to consult with an Interventional Radiologist at The Mount Sinai Medical Center to see if it is the right treatment for you.

For more information on UAE treatment of fibroids, visit http://www.scvir.org/fibroid/index.htm.