Uterine Fibroid Ablation

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you are a candidate for Uterine Fibroid Ablation.

Are you suffering from Uterine Fibroids?

1 out of every 4 women suffers from uterine fibroids. These benign, non-cancerous growths can be extremely painful and can cause disruptions that severely impact quality of life. If you are suffering from uterine fibroids, then you are aware of the uncomfortable symptoms, such as cramping, abdominal pain, heavy menstrual bleeding, anemia, frequent urination, constipation and distended stomach. Uterine fibroids are the most common non-cancerous tumor in women, with a prevalence of 20-40% in women of reproductive age. Fibroids occur at a higher rate among women of African-American descent. While many women with fibroids do not experience any symptoms, the location and size of fibroids can change and cause symptoms that can affect a woman’s quality of life.

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Until now, most treatment options were invasive surgical procedures. Now, with Uterine Fibroid Ablation, there is a non-invasive treatment which eliminates related symptoms in an outpatient setting, without the need for incisions, anesthesia or hospitalization.

What are the benefits of Uterine Fibroid Ablation?

Uterine Fibroid Ablation (UFA) is an outpatient procedure designed to reduce fibroid-related symptoms, resulting in a significant quality of life improvement. It is a non-invasive alternative to surgery or hormonal treatments requiring no incision, no hospitalization and no lengthy recovery time.

What happens during the procedure?

Uterus Diagram During the approximately 3-hour procedure, patients lie on their stomach on a table inside an MRI scanner. Sedation and pain medication are given to aid relaxation. Patients are conscious throughout the procedure and can communicate with the physician. Prior to the procedure, the physician obtains MR images of the patient’s uterus and uses that to plan the treatment.

Then individual pulses of focused ultrasound energy, called “sonications” each lasting about 20 seconds, are applied to the fibroid through the skin. Afterwards, MR images are taken to evaluate treatment effectiveness.

What happens after Uterine Fibroid Ablation?

Following the procedure, patients rest for approximately 1 hour while the sedation wears off. Patients may experience some abdominal pain, cramping or nausea. If necessary, the physician will provide instructions for medication for comfort upon discharge. Usually, only over-the-counter pain relief medication is required. Patients may experience some cramping, similar to that experienced during a menstrual period, or shoulder or back pain that lasts a few days after the procedure due to lying still during the procedure. Most women are able to return to work and normal activity within 1-2 days.

What are the risks of Uterine Fibroid Ablation?

As with any medical procedure, there are risks involved with the treatment. These risks could include skin burns, back or leg pain, nerve damage, abdominal cramping, nausea, fever, vaginal discharge and urinary tract infection. The incidence of these complications is relatively low. There is a risk that the treatment may not be successful and alternative treatment may be required. Also, the treatment may be successful in reducing symptoms due to fibroids that are treated but at a later time, more fibroids may grow and require additional treatment. This is true for all fibroid treatment alternatives, except hysterectomies.

About EXABLATE^® 2000

ExAblate^® 2000 is pain free and requires no incision, no hospitalization and no lengthy recovery time. Using a combination of high intensity ultrasound waves and magnetic resonance imaging, the outpatient procedure effectively treats fibroids. During treatment, magnetic resonance images enable the physician to visualize the fibroid and surrounding organs in three dimensions, obtain real-time feedback about temperature changes in the treated area, and observe what has been treated.

How do I know if I am a candidate?

To learn more about Uterine Fibroid Ablation, please call us to make an appointment with one of our physicians. During the consultation, we will review your history and your medical records to determine if you are a candidate. Our recommendations will be communicated to you and your gynecologist to be certain that Uterine Fibroid Ablation will meet your needs and that all of your physicians remain involved in your care. Please note that this procedure is for women who do not wish to become pregnant in the future. The effects of Uterine Fibroid Ablation on the ability to become pregnant and carry a fetus to term have not been determined.

For more information, call Southtown Radiology's Womens Imaging Center at 716-558-5400.