1.How is the interventional treatment for fibroids done?
A small hole the size of a grain of rice is cut at the root of one thigh, and a special catheter is inserted into the blood supply artery of the fibroid to block the blood supply of the fibroid by applying embolic agent to achieve the purpose of “starving” the fibroid.
2.Is the interventional treatment of fibroids painful?
Interventional treatment is done under anesthesia, so the procedure is painless.
3.How long does the interventional treatment of fibroids take?
The procedure takes less time and can be completed in as little as 30 minutes, usually in about an hour.
4.What will be the reaction after the interventional treatment of fibroids?
The postoperative reaction is mild and can be solved by symptomatic treatment. The main symptoms are mild pain in the lower abdomen and low fever. Within 24 hours after the operation, we will apply a pain relief device called PCA (Patient Controlled Analgesia), and the patient will be able to control the pain by giving medication on time according to his condition; after 24 hours, general painkillers can stop the pain, so the patient will not feel pain during the intervention. Individual patients will have a low fever between 37.5°C and 38.5°C within 2-4 days after the operation, which is a normal reaction after the intervention and can be treated symptomatically.
5.What do I need to pay attention to after the interventional treatment?
There are no special requirements after interventional therapy. Generally, you can eat 6 hours after the operation and move freely 24 hours after the operation; you can be discharged from the hospital in 3-5 days, and you can go to work normally after 7-10 days of rest. In foreign countries, due to the good community health care service, this procedure can be discharged home to recuperate 6 hours after the operation.
6.What is the effect of interventional treatment for uterine fibroids?
After ten years of observation, interventional treatment of uterine fibroids has been a mature technology with good clinical results, and has become the preferred method to replace hysterectomy in the treatment of uterine fibroids in foreign countries. The efficiency of interventional treatment for uterine fibroids is more than 95%, and the reduction rate of fibroids is between 80% and 100%, according to domestic and foreign data and hundreds of clinical cases. Generally speaking, the fibroids will be completely necrotic after interventional treatment, and the reason for the difference in shrinkage rate is the difference in individual absorption exclusion. As long as an experienced doctor chooses the right case, the ideal result can be achieved in general.
7.How are uterine fibroids excluded after interventional treatment?
For submucosal fibroids, they are mainly discharged vaginally, usually within 17 days to 3 months; for other types of fibroids, they are discharged by urine after absorption.
8.Will fibroids recur after interventional treatment?
There is no problem of recurrence because of necrosis of fibroids after interventional treatment, which is supported by domestic and foreign cases and our data.
9.Can I have children after interventional treatment of fibroids?
Fibroids themselves can lead to infertility, with an incidence of 25%-40%. With the disappearance of fibroids after interventional treatment, the factors that cause infertility due to fibroids also disappear, and the patient’s chance of conception increases. There are reports of pregnancy and delivery of normal fetus after interventional treatment in China and abroad, and we also have cases of pregnancy after treatment.
10.What kind of fibroids are suitable for interventional treatment?
The vast majority of patients with fibroids can undergo interventional treatment. In clinical practice, patients with the following types of fibroids should be treated with caution: (1) subplasmic fibroids with thin tissues; (2) broad ligament fibroids that are not connected to the body of the uterus.
11.Why is interventional treatment for uterine fibroids effective?
Since interventional treatment is to make the fibroids ischemic and hypoxic to necrosis by embolizing the blood vessels, the richer the blood supply to the fibroids, the better the effect. It has been found that more than 95% of fibroids have a rich blood supply (called vascularity in medical terms), which is more effective for interventional treatment. Before the interventional treatment, the doctor will judge the blood supply of fibroids according to the growth rate of fibroids and gynecological examination of the patient, and if necessary, the color ultrasound examination can clearly observe the blood supply of fibroids.
12.What are the benefits of minimally invasive intervention for uterine fibroids?
First of all: no need to open the abdomen, no need to remove the uterus, and the function of the uterus is preserved. Modern research proves that the uterus has 4 functions: (1) menstrual function (2) fertility function (3) endocrine function (4) immune function. The endocrine function and immune function are especially important after the completion of the reproductive task, which is directly related to the patient’s future health problems.
Second: less side effects and complications.
Third: short hospitalization time.