My experience of UFE

Women's health
1

I had UFE in February 2016. I had put it off after reading all the horrible stories of pain and infection but I couldn't delay any longer as I was missing work every month as I couldn't leave the house for 2 days.

I had tried Esmya and Zolodex but they had made little difference to the size of my fibroid. My only other options I was told were a hysterectomy or an open myectomy. My largest fibroid was about 9cm (7 fibroids altogether). I'm 45 and don't have any children.

The procedure was very straightforward, I remember it but the drugs made me very sleepy so I'm a bit hazy. I did keep getting asked about how my pain was but I never got above a 3. Afterwards on the ward and overnight I was expecting to be in a lot of pain but I wasn't. I didn't have a morphine pump which I used a few times but felt like I didn't really need to.

When I was discharged I was prescribed tablets but I ended up only taking a few paracetamol. I was actually worried that no pain meant it hasn't worked! I just felt a bit tired that's all. I did have a lump in my groin near the incision that had to be checked out but other than that I was fine. I had the procedure on Tuesday and took two weeks off work but could probably have gone back sooner.

It has made a difference to my periods in that I can now leave the house during then but they are still heavy and I have been anemic again recently. I've had 2 MRI scans and on the first my largest fibroid had reduced from 9cm to 6cm (after 7months) and then to 5cm (after a year). The other fibroids has reduced by a similar amount and one couldn't be seen on the scan anymore.

I'm waiting now to talk to the radiologist though as it's technically a success I doubt if that will really help and I will need to consider my next options. I wish I hadn't put it off as long as I did though. I just wanted to say that not everyone experiences lots of pain after UFE.

2

Good to read this Iz, as now if you are considering surgery you may be able to consider keyhole, or a smaller incision if open. Also not sure regarding this but if getting, technically dead fibroids out, I don't think they are as vascular (though some may still have alternate blood sources than the blocked arteries) So would think it would be better surgery wise for blood loss? I'd be really interested to hear what your radiologist, gynie, surgeon says. I'm someone who has delayed for the same reasons & when I did go for each even though the procedure was scheduled, they wrote to me & said they couldn't do it (as after travelling 800 mile round journey to see a specialiast IR) he hadn't looked at my MRI, (even though I made sure images with there) scheduled me a UFE date & then after that looked at the images & said he thought the fibroid was dead or dying. After another local MRI & CT scan this year my fibroid has a very live blood supply! So I was left extremely confused!

 

3

I'd never thought of that about the blood supply being less so making surgery less likely to be a lot of blood loss but it makes sense. I was lucky as my local hospital did the UFE, I would not have liked to make an 800 mile round trip! Did you get an MRI where they inject dye so they can see the blood supply better? I hope you get some answers soon

4

Hi Iz, Yes I did. He thin possbily reading between the lines that my stats may not have been considered a success for UFE & affected his rating for his prvate work. All seemed most uncaring & left me totally in the dark,