UFE and Fibroids: July Is Fibroid Awareness Month

Fibroid Awareness Month is celebrated in July to raise awareness about uterine fibroids, a condition that affects millions of women around the world. Fibroid Awareness Month also aims to encourage more research and funding for this common but little-known condition.

Fibroid awareness requires learning more about a very commonly diagnosed condition. By the age of 50, 80% of all women will have fibroids. This figure rises to nearly 90% for African-American women, who are three times more likely to be negatively impacted. Larger fibroids with heavy bleeding can develop at a younger age in many African-American women.

Fibroids should be one of the most well-understood conditions due to the large number of women who suffer from them, but many women are unaware of how they can affect their lives.

Give us a call we can help. Dade County: (305) 701-3001.

Treatment options and potential risk factors

Fibroids can cause a variety of symptoms such as pain, fatigue, infertility, and miscarriages. While some women have no symptoms, many do. Some of the more common life-altering symptoms include:

Period pain, including heavy or inconsistent menstrual bleeding
Cramps, pelvic pain, and pressure
Pain during sex Fatigue and weakness
Bloating or swelling in the lower abdomen
Back or leg pain
bowel or bladder dysfunction
Constipation, diarrhea, and rectum discomfort

Understand the Treatments

Our interventional radiologists will recommend the best treatment option for you based on the size and severity of the uterine fibroid(s). If your symptoms are mild, your OBGYN may advise you to monitor your growth with medication such as birth control or other hormone options. In more severe cases, your doctor may advise you to have the fibroid(s) removed using one of the following methods:

Embolization of Uterine Fibroids
Myomectomy
Hysterectomy (usually only in extreme cases)

Have you ever considered UFE?

For many years, surgical procedures such as hysterectomy and myomectomy were the standard of care for fibroids. In some cases, they are still the best option. However, in today’s world of rapidly evolving technology, it is always prudent to seek a second opinion and be advised on alternative options.

Uterine Fibroid Embolization (UFE) is a novel, low-risk fibroid treatment that avoids often complicated and bloody procedures like hysterectomy or myomectomy. Rather than removing fibroids, UFE uses interventional radiology and tiny particles to block blood flow to uterine fibroids non-invasively. This causes fibroids to shrink and die, resulting in a significant decrease in symptoms for women. UFE also has the following advantages:

There will be no hospitalization.
Recovery time is limited.
There is no need for vaginal access due to the small wrist puncture.
Treat multiple fibroids at once Over 90% effective in symptom reduction

Raising awareness about fibroids and advocating for more research

One thing is certain: more research is required to help raise awareness about fibroids. The exact causes of fibroids are still unknown, and there aren’t enough fibroid treatments that are both safe and effective. Furthermore, far too little of the information we already have is reaching those most affected by the disease.

To address this, women-led health and advocacy organizations are collaborating to raise awareness about uterine fibroids and close gaps in research, diagnosis, patient care, and treatment for women who are at risk or who already have this condition.

Among these organizations are:

Being aware is essential, July Is Fibroid Awareness Month

The ultimate goal of raising fibroid awareness is to help women. And to assist you in answering any questions you may have about fibroids. (This includes information on treatment options.)

Do you require assistance in your quest for answers about your fibroid journey?

Give us a call we can help. Dade County: (305) 701-3001.