Uterine fibroids can make day-to-day living a challenge for many women, particularly women of color. Up to 80% of Black women experience fibroids by age 50, yet awareness of treatment options remains low. Uterine fibroid embolization (UFE) is a non-surgical procedure performed by interventional radiologists that can significantly improve quality of life.
UFE involves inserting a catheter through a tiny incision and guiding it using real-time medical imaging to the blood vessels supplying the fibroids. Small particles are then injected to block blood flow, causing the fibroids to shrink over time. Compared to open surgical options, UFE typically results in less pain and a shorter recovery period.
Kenya Green, a patient who experienced fibroids for decades, shared her story: “Before UFE, my entire life was planned around my fibroids — what I could wear, where I could go—all to manage the symptoms and pain I was experiencing. When I asked my OBGYN what my options were, I was told I could go on birth control or that I needed to have a hysterectomy.”
Uterine fibroids are not cancer; they are growths that develop in the uterus and can significantly impact menstrual health, causing heavy bleeding, bloating, and severe pain. Many women suffer in silence or think surgery is their only option. Green found out about UFE from a friend who referred her to an interventional radiologist.
“Fibroids are the number 1 reason why women undergo hysterectomy, which is unnecessary in the significant majority of cases and can be replaced with the much safer, less invasive, nonsurgical UFE procedure,” said John Lipman, MD, an interventional radiologist and founder of the Atlanta Fibroid Center. “Compared with surgery, UFE is much less invasive, less expensive, has a much shorter recovery time (days versus weeks or months), and is covered by all major insurance plans.”
Awareness and access to fibroid diagnosis and treatment are vital. Uterine fibroids are three times more common in Black women and twice as common in Hispanic women, but 36% of Black women and 22% of Hispanic women mistakenly believe they are not at risk. Dr. Lipman noted, “It has been shown in multiple medical studies that most women suffering with fibroids do not hear about UFE as a treatment option from their doctor despite full endorsement from the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists (ACOG) back in 2008.”
After UFE, Green experienced a marked improvement: “Since I had my UFE, I no longer have to plan my life and my wardrobe around my fibroid symptoms. I am pain free and living a life of abundance.” As July is Uterine Fibroid Awareness Month, women are encouraged to learn about all treatment options. More information can be found at the Radiology Health Equity Coalition Uterine Fibroid Resources page.
