What happens to the fibroids after a Uterine Fibroid Embolization (UFE)?

 

Your body may go through several changes after your uterine fibroid embolization procedure as you adjust to decreased symptoms related to fibroids. Dr. Linda Hughes details the process you will go through.

“After a uterine fibroid embolization, the blood flow is cut off to the fibroids, and several things happen. Number one, the fibroids are going to decrease in size, and typically most fibroids are in the wall of the uterus, so that they’re going to shrink, and scar and retract into the wall.

“Secondly, since you’ve cut off the blood flow, it’s going to correct the bleeding a lot of women present with heavy bleeding in passing blood clots and having issues with anemia. That should correct itself. Just as important as the shrinkage is the remaining fibroid tissue, which is also going to be a lot softer, so it’s not going to have the same pressure or mass effect on the bladder, back, or on some of the nerves in the area.

“In a small percentage of women, some of the fibroids can actually be sticking into the lining of the uterus, and in that situation, we know with the MRI and the ultrasound imaging prior to the procedure that they have a submucosal component, which is the part of the fibroid inside of the lining. We counsel women just to be aware that they might have to wear a little mini pad or a liner for the first maybe 4-6 weeks because there may be some mucus or watery discharge. This is the portion of the fibroid that is in the lining so they are not going to expel an entire fibroid, but they may have some discharge.”

See Dr. Suzanne Slonim’s answer to this question.

 

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