Uterine Fibroid Embolization Los Angeles
Non-Surgical Fibroid Treatment
Uterine fibroid embolization (UFE) is a minimally-invasive procedure that we use to relieve heavy bleeding, pain, and other symptoms in patients with uterine fibroids.
Effective - 85% of women report that they are satisfied with the procedure or experience sustained symptom relief
Clinically Proven - UFE is supported by multiple clinical studies and nearly two decades of practice
Keep Your Uterus - pregnancy is possible after UFE
Fast Recovery - hospital stay not required, most women return to their normal activities within 1 week
The Fibroid Specialists of University Vascular are experienced providers and uterine fibroid embolization specialists in Los Angeles. Find relief, get back to your life.
UFE Procedure: a small tube called a catheter is guided through the blood vessels to reach the fibroids. Micro-sized beads are injected through the catheter into the fibroid, blocking the fibroid's blood supply, causing it to shrink.
Doctor Michael Lalezarian
Fibroid Specialist in Los Angeles
Vascular & Interventional Radiologist
Doctor Michael Lalezarian is a double board-certified fellowship-trained Vascular and Interventional Radiologist. He completed both his Radiology Residency and Interventional Radiology Fellowship at David Geffen School of Medicine at the Ronald Reagan Hospital at UCLA, where he received extensive training in minimally-invasive image-guided procedures. Dr. Michael Lalezarian has since devoted his expertise to helping women with uterine fibroids, and is regarded as an expert and specialist in uterine fibroid embolization in Los Angeles, CA. Read full bio.
How does uterine fibroid embolization work?
The objective of the fibroid embolization procedure is to shrink the uterine fibroids by cutting off their blood supply. Blood carries oxygen and nutrients necessary for the survival of all tissues - including uterine fibroids. By carefully pinpointing and blocking off the arteries that feed the fibroids, we are able to starve the benign tumors, causing them to shrink, and reduce associated symptoms.
The UFE fibroid treatment procedure is performed in a radiology suite (not an operating room) by an interventional radiologist - a trained expert in imaging and navigation of blood vessels. The goal of the procedure is to occlude (“embolize”) the blood vessels that feed the uterine fibroids. The procedure takes approximately 1 hour, and can be done in an outpatient setting, meaning the patient will typically go home the same day. For the embolization part of the procedure, an incision no larger than a freckle is made. A very thin tube called a catheter is inserted through this incision and guided to the site of the fibroids. Through this catheter, tiny particles the size of a grain of sand (called embolizations beads or embolization microparticles) are injected until they occlude the target blood vessels.¹ Patients typically return to full activity within a week.
The catheter is inserted near the groin through a single puncture.
Embolic particles are injected into the fibroid.
Embolic particles occlude the vessels feeding the fibroid.
The fibroid starves and shrinks without its major blood supply.
Is uterine fibroid embolization treatment clinically proven?
Multiple clinical studies have established that uterine fibroid embolization is just as effective at alleviating fibroid symptoms as hysterectomy or myomectomy surgery. In these studies, success is measured by asking women whether or not they are satisfied with treatment or by asking them about their experiences with fibroid symptoms. Two years after uterine fibroid embolization, around 85% of women report that they are satisfied with the procedure or remain free of fibroid symptoms. A similar percentage of women report that they are still happy with their results 5 years after treatment.²
How does uterine fibroid embolization compare to other treatment options?
UFE fibroid treatment is less invasive. Uterine fibroid embolization is unique in that the procedure is minimally-invasive. This means that unlike surgical treatment options (hysterectomy and myomectomy) which require relatively-large incisions and definite hospital stay, the UFE fibroid treatment procedure requires no more than a freckle-sized incision, and may be performed in an outpatient setting. Women who undergo UFE return to work and normal activities quicker than women who choose surgical management.²
UFE treatment is just as safe and equally effective. Uterine fibroid embolization is clinically proven to be just as effective as surgical options when it comes to symptom relief and patient satisfaction.² UFE has the added advantage of keeping the uterus healthy and intact, so pregnancy after the procedure is still possible. There is also some evidence that UFE is associated with a lower rate of major complications compared with surgery, but this point is debated.²⁻⁴ While major surgery can be avoided with the UFE procedure, women who undergo UFE are slightly more likely to have a repeat procedure for their fibroids within the first 2 years compared to women who undergo a surgical option (~12% of cases vs. ~8%).²
Choosing which uterine fibroid treatment is right for you is no small decision. If you'd like to learn more about how UFE compares to other options, we put together this visual comparison of uterine fibroid treatment options.
Is uterine fibroid embolization right for me?
Uterine fibroid embolization has clear advantages over surgical options, especially if you would like to preserve your uterus, become pregnant in the future, and/or minimize your downtime following your fibroid treatment.
A uterine fibroid embolization specialist in Los Angeles, CA can help you evaluate your options and inform you on UFE price!
References
[1] Pelage, J.-P., Cazejust, J., Pluot, E., Le Dref, O., Laurent, A., Spies, J. B., … Lacombe, P. (2005). Uterine Fibroid Vascularization and Clinical Relevance to Uterine Fibroid Embolization. Radiographics, 25, S99–S117.
[2] Gupta JK, Sinha A, Lumsden MA, Hickey M. Uterine artery embolization for symptomatic uterine fibroids. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2014, Issue 12. Art. No.: CD005073.
[3] Garry R, Fountain J, Mason S, Hawe J, Napp V, Abbott J, et al. The eVALuate study: two parallel randomised trials, one comparing laparoscopic with abdominal hysterectomy, the other comparing laparoscopic with vaginal hysterectomy. BMJ 2004;328(7432):129.
[4] Younas K, Hadoura E, Majoko F, Bunkheila A. A review of evidence-based management of uterine fibroids. The Obstetrician & Gynaecologist 2016;18:33–42.
[5] Davis, M. R., Soliman, A. M., Castelli-Haley, J., Snabes, M. C., & Surrey, E. S. (2018). Reintervention Rates After Myomectomy, Endometrial Ablation, and Uterine Artery Embolization for Patients with Uterine Fibroids. Journal of Women’s Health (2002), 27(10).
