General FAQs
A GP referral is always desirable but is not essential and you can be seen for a consultation or scan without a referral. It is recommended that Dr. Crowe communicates with and shares results with your GP but that would only be done with your consent. It is worth noting that if your treatment is being covered by private health insurance a GP referral may be a condition of your policy cover and this is something you would need to check with your insurer when seeking pre-authorisation.
Consultations and scans can usually be arranged within a week to tens days depending on the exact type of scan and preferred location. Dr. Crowe’s practice manager, Lisa, can advise on the earliest available appointment options. Bookings for day case or in-patient procedures can usually be arranged within 2-3 weeks depending on the preferred location and bed availability. Medically urgent procedures can be arranged at short notice as required.
Telephone and video consultations are available. Many with busy lifestyles appreciate these options and they are particularly convenient for patients living some distance from our centres or overseas. Dr. Crowe’s practice manager, Lisa, can advise on availability.
No. Although the majority of patients are covered by private health insurance, either personal or through their employer, increasing numbers are choosing to self pay and costs are often less than anticipated.
Uterine Fibroid FAQs
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. 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.
You may have been referred to Dr. Crowe by your GP or gynaecologist who will have performed an examination and possibly arranged imaging tests such as an ultrasound or MRI scan. If you are not currently under the care of a gynaecologist Dr. Crowe can recommend one of his gynaecology colleagues. Dr. Crowe first meets you in the out-patient department to discuss the procedure and answer any questions you may have.
Following the embolisation procedure you will be taken back to your room where you will be looked after by nursing staff familiar with looking after embolisation patients. You will need to lie flat for a few hours to reduce the risk of bleeding from the puncture sites in the groins. You will have the morphine pump to control any pain and the nursing staff can give medication to relieve any nausea caused by the morphine. A one night hospital stay is the norm and you should be ready to go home by lunchtime the day after the procedure.You can return to normal activities almost immediately but may experience some fatigue and crampy pain (like severe period pain) for a few weeks. You should not drive for 48 hours and it is advisable to book about 10 days off work.
The official UK guidelines from the Royal College of Radiologists and Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists Joint Working Party (November 2000) recommended that women undergoing uterine fibroid embolisation should be advised not to try and conceive due to theoretical adverse effects on the embryo. These early recommendations were perhaps over-cautious and it is recognised that many women choose embolisation as an alternative to hysterectomy in order to preserve fertility and keep their options open. It is not, however, advisable to become pregnant within 12 months of the procedure as the fibroids are still breaking down.
Most of the major centres around the world performing UAE now have patients who have had normal pregnancies following embolisation although there is probably a higher risk of requiring a caesarean delivery. There is still much ongoing research and data collection in this area and if fertility is a particular concern Dr. Crowe will discuss the latest findings with you at the time of your initial consultation.
Please contact Dr. Crowe’s secretary on 0121 448 1502. Procedures are performed at the BMI Priory Hospital in Birmingham. Most private insurance companies now cover the procedure and for non-insured patients the BMI Priory Hospital offers a competitive all in price. Please get in touch for more information.