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Feb 28, 2008 5:45 pm US/Eastern
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New Procedure Helps Women Avoid Hysterectomies
BALTIMORE (WJZ) ―
A minimally invasive procedure for fibroids gets a nod from doctors and patients.
Healthwatch reporter Kellye Lynn has the results of a just released study of uterine fibroid embolization.
UFE is a procedure that removes fibroids from the uterus. A large new study shows the technique is overwhelmingly successful in helping women avoid hysterectomies and improve their quality of life.
Long before Debbie Morgan started her dog boarding business, she had a painful, nagging health problem.
"Yes, my fibroid was very small, but it was the location of it that was causing me all the trouble," she said.
A fibroid on Debbie's uterine lining left her with abdominal cramps, heavy bleeding, anemia and fatigue.
"You talk to your gynecologist and they were like we've done ultrasounds and your fibroid is too small, it can't be causing your problem. There has to be another reason why you're anemic," Morgan said.
There wasn't, so Debbie pursued a technique to remove the benign tumor.
"Almost 200,000 hysterectomies are performed in the U.S. because of uterine fibroids," said Dr. Kevin Kim, Director of Gynecologic Interventions at Johns Hopkins Hospital.
Dr. Kim says a third of the 600,000 hysterectomies performed in this country are to remove uterine fibroids. Uterine fibroid embolization
offers women a way to eliminate fibroids while maintaining their uterus.
"We put little tiny pellets to block off the blood supply for these fibroids," Dr. Kim said.
When the tiny particles are released into the blood vessels feeding the fibroid, the blood supply is blocked causing the tumor to shrink and die.
Most woman spend just one night in the hospital and recover within seven to 10 days.
A just released three year follow up of more than 1,200 patients shows 85 percent of women who had the minimally invasive procedure had a substantial improvement in symptoms and quality of life.
"Their quality of life is now almost similar to those without uterine fibroids. So this is actually a very important study," Dr. Kim said.
Three years after having UFE, Debbie is symptom free.
"I'm no longer going to a hematology oncologist every six weeks to get iron infusions because my anemia was so bad. Now it's totally different. I'm like here, there and everywhere" Morgan said.
About 85 percent of the women in the study also said they would recommend UFE to a family member or friend.
According to doctors, the majority of women who have bothersome fibroids are eligible for this procedure.
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