Research Results for Uterine Fibroid Embolization vs. Myomectomy Satellite Feed TRT: 12:42

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1 10201 Lee Highway Suite 500 Fairfax, Virginia fax Research Results for Uterine Fibroid Embolization vs. Myomectomy Satellite Feed TRT: 12:42 IMAGE/ SIR logo (with Web site: This information is distributed by the Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR) for your free and unrestricted use. SIR is the professional society of approximately 4,000 interventional radiologists medical specialists who are devoted to advancing patient care through the innovative integration of clinical and imaging-based diagnosis and minimally invasive therapy. For more information, contact: From March th call After March 30 th call: Emily Oehler at Diane Shnitzler at Format: package, bites and b-roll John Lipman, M.D. Interventional Radiologist Radiology Associates of Atlanta Atlanta, GA Tiny Washington Suffered from uterine fibroids and underwent a myomectomy. After symptoms continued, she had uterine fibroid embolization which killed her tumors and ended her symptoms, including monthly hemorrhaging and anemia. Atlanta, PA

2 SUGGESTED LEAD: For the thousands of women suffering from uterine fibroids a non-surgical option has been proven safer than surgery. The Society of Interventional Radiology released new research today that shows that uterine fibroid embolization, a minimally invasive treatment for uterine fibroids, is safer than the surgical option of myomectomy, and returns women to their lives, symptom free, faster. Carolyn Gorman has more. Uterine Fibroid Embolization Satellite Feed PKG: 1:16 UFE patient in home Washington Procedure Doctor and patient Images Lipman Procedure Washington Narrator In the United States, two out of five women have uterine fibroids and may suffer from debilitating symptoms. When I had my cycle, I had extremely heavy bleeding and the pain excruciating. New research shows that non-surgical uterine fibroid embolization is as effective as myomectomy surgery for treating fibroids but offers a much quicker recovery time. One of the main points of the study kind of validated what we knew for some time now that fibroid embolization is safer, there are less complications, and it gets a woman back to life quicker than the surgical alternative, in this case, myomectomy. This minimally invasive procedure performed by interventional radiologists nationwide, using imaging to guide them, cuts off the blood supply to the fibroids causing them to shrink and symptoms to end. The difference of course is not having the symptoms that I had prior to having the procedure done and I m able to do a lot of different things. I m much more active than prior to having it done. Carolyn Gorman reporting. SUGGESTED CLOSE: To learn more about uterine fibroid embolization, visit our web site at, or to find a local interventional radiologist who can identify and treat the uterine fibroids visit

3 Uterine Fibroid Embolization Uterine fibroids are very common non-cancerous (benign) growths that develop in the muscular wall of the uterus. They can range in size from very tiny (a quarter of an inch) to larger than a cantaloupe. Occasionally, they can cause the uterus to grow to the size of a five-month pregnancy. In most cases, there is more than one fibroid in the uterus. Twenty to 40 percent of women the age of 35 and older have uterine fibroids of a significant size. African American women are at a higher risk for fibroids: as many as 50 percent have fibroids of a significant size. They are the most frequent indication for hysterectomy in pre-menopausal women and, therefore, are a major public health issue. Of the 600,000 hysterectomies performed annually in the United States, 1/3 of these are due to fibroids. Symptoms Most fibroids don t cause symptoms only 10 to 20 percent of women who have fibroids require treatment. Depending on size, location and number of fibroids, they may cause: Heavy, prolonged menstrual periods and unusual monthly bleeding, sometimes with clots. This can lead to anemia. Pelvic pain and pressure Pain in the back and legs Pain during sexual intercourse Bladder pressure leading to a frequent urge to urinate Pressure on the bowel, leading to constipation and bloating Abnormally enlarged abdomen Treatment Uterine Fibroid Embolization (UFE) is performed by an interventional radiologist while the patient is conscious, but sedated and feeling no pain. It does not require general anesthesia. The interventional radiologist makes a tiny nick in the skin, less than a ¼ of an inch, in the groin and inserts a catheter into the femoral artery. Using real-time imaging, the physician guides the catheter through the artery and then releases tiny particles, the size of grains of sand, into the uterine arteries that supply blood to the fibroid tumor. This blocks the blood flow to the fibroid tumor and causes it to shrink. Benefits Takes less than an hour Requires a hospital stay of one night Many women resume light activities in a few days and the majority of women are able to return to normal activities within seven to ten days On average, 90 percent of women who had the procedure experience significant or total relief of heavy bleeding and other symptoms The procedure is effective for multiple fibroids Recurrence of treated fibroids is very rare

4 Interventional radiologists are board certified doctors who use their ability to see inside the body with X-rays, MRI s, ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), and other imaging to treat patients directly at the source of disease using tiny instruments they guide through the body s blood vessels or through the skin to treat diseases without surgery. Interventional radiologists pioneered angioplasty and stenting which were first used in the legs to save peripheral arterial disease patients from amputation or surgery. Interventional radiology treatments are minimally invasive, targeted treatments that often replace open surgery. Additionally, they involve less risk, less pain and less recovery time for the patient. Additional bites and b-roll John Lipman, M.D. Interventional Radiologist Radiology Associates of Atlanta Atlanta, GA Uterine fibroid embolization is a completely non-surgical treatment option for women suffering with sysmptomatic uterine fibroids. Fibroid embolization is a safer procedure then either of the two surgical alternatives, either myomectomy or hysterectomy. It doesn t require any general anesthesia, it doesn t require a surgical incision. There are no risks for transfusions, there is no hospitalization. Uterine fibroid embolization is a procedure performed by an interventional radiologist. We are specialists in image-guided procedures, and we direct the catheter under X-ray guidance into the blood supply of the uterus and fibroids. The interventional radiologist then injects these beads into the blood supply supplying the fibroid to cut the blood supply off to it. Without a blood supply, the fibroid will die and when the fibroid dies, the patient s symptoms will significantly improve or resolve all together. Patients need to know that fibroid embolization has been around for almost 10 years, and it has been shown to be a very safe and effective and durable procedure for the treatment of symptoms from uterine fibroids. X-RAY DISCUSION: You can see one of the benefits of performing fibroid embolization over myomectomy. You can see obviously she has multiple fibroids, and there is no way a surgeon could remove all of these fibroids and still have a uterus left. Fibroid embolization however, will treat all of the fibroids there, all at once. So, fibroid embolization is a global therapy, and myomectomy is a local therapy, can only get the biggest collection of fibroids and leaves the remainder of the fibroids there to continue to cause symptoms.

5 UTERUS MODEL: This is a cut-away of the uterus with the uterus, cervix, vagina, fallopian tubes and ovaries. You can see that there is a very tiny fibroid inside the uterus. This is how fibroids can cause very heavy bleeding is that the fibroid distorts the lining not allows the lining to heal each month and results in very heavy periods and heavy uterine bleeding. Fibroids also cause symptoms in other areas depending on where they re located. If they re located low in the cervix, they can cause very painful intercourse. If they re located down in front they can press on the bladder and cause increased urinary frequency. If they re located on the back, they can project against the colon causing very significant constipation. Tiny Washington Suffered from uterine fibroids and underwent a myomectomy. After symptoms continued, she had uterine fibroid embolization which killed her tumors and ended her symptoms, including monthly hemorrhaging and anemia. Atlanta, PA A year later the fibroids came back and at that time, I started having more problems then even before I had the myomectomy. I started experiencing really heavy bleeding. It got to the point, even in 2002, I had to go to the hospital because I was bleeding so heavily I had to have a blood transfusion. I had to have three units of blood. I went through pads 12 to 13 pads in an hour. And the pain was really excruciating. This procedure was so much better than when I had the myomectomy. It was less time I only had to stay in the hospital overnight. I went home the following day. I did not have as much pain as when I had the myomectomy. When I went home, I just relaxed, chilled out a little bit, and the next day I was able to get up move around. I went back to work in two weeks verses the six weeks with myomectomy and it was great! My energy level has really gone up. I m able to et out and do things I wasn t able to do. I ve started going to the gym exercising. I m able to get up in the morning on the first day of my cycle and just lead a normal life. I just want to encourage my African-American sisters to go out and find out about it. Don t settle for having a hysterectomy because if they is, because there is a much better procedure out there now. So you don t have to settle for that. Interventional Radiology Uterine Fibroid Procedure For more information, contact: From March th call After March 30 th call: Emily Oehler at Diane Shnitzler at