Uterine Fibroids
The following sections explain what fibroids are, what treatments are available and how embolisation compares with the other treatment options. As each case is unique you should consider any information on this site in conjunction with your gynaecologist’s advice.
What are fibroids?
Fibroids are abnormal growths of the muscle wall of the womb or uterus. Uterine fibroids are the most common tumours of the female genital tract. You might hear them referred to as “fibroids” or by several other names, including leiomyoma, leiomyomata, myoma and fibromyoma. Fibroids are non-cancerous (benign) growths. While fibroids do not always cause symptoms, their size and location can lead to problems for some women including painful or heavy periods and pressure symptoms.
What type of fibroids are there?
Fibroids may occur in a number of locations. They most commonly lie in the wall of the uterus (intramural fibroids) but may protrude either outside the uterus or into the cavity of the uterus.
How common are fibroids?
Uterine fibroids are very common. The number of women who have fibroids increases with age until menopause: about 20 percent of women in their 20s have fibroids, 30 percent in their 30s and 40 percent in their 40s. From 20 percent to 40 percent of women aged 35 and older have uterine fibroids of a significant size. Fibroids are more common in certain ethnic groups.
Fibroids do not always cause symptoms and can be picked up as incidental findings when scanning for other reasons or may be found on routine antenatal ultrasound scans.
What are the treatment options?
Fibroids are very common and may not need any treatment at all unless causing problems such as pain, heavy menstrual bleeding or pressure on adjacent organs such as the bladder.
Traditional treatments includes the use of tablets or injections to manipulate hormones that affect fibroid growth. Other options include various types of myomectomy surgery (hysteroscopic, laparoscopic, open) and hysterectomy. Endometrial ablation may be used to treat associated heavy bleeding without necessarily treating or removing the underlying fibroids.
Dr Crowe offers uterine artery embolisation, a minimally invasive and now well established treatment for uterine fibroids.
Uterine Artery Embolisation for Fibroids
Uterine artery embolisation is now a well established treatment for uterine fibroids, one of the commonest gynaecological problems that can lead problems such as heavy periods that interfere with daily activities, period pain and pressure symptoms.
Dr. Crowe and his teams at the Priory Hospital in Birmingham and at Birmingham Heartlands Hospital have been offering UAE for over twenty years and he has performed over 7000 cases. He has been the leading individual contributor to the UK Fibroid Embolisation Registry run by the British Society of Interventional Radiology.