What is fibroid embolization?
• It is a minimally invasive procedure, which means it requires only a tiny nick in the skin. It is performed while the patient is conscious but sedated—drowsy and feeling no pain. Fibroid embolization is performed by an interventional radiologist, a physician who is specially trained to perform this and other types of embolization and minimally invasive procedures. The interventional radiologist makes a small nick in the skin (less than ¼ of an inch) in the groin and inserts a catheter into an artery. The catheter is guided through the artery to the uterus whil the interventional radiologist guides the progress of the procedure using a moving X-ray (fluoroscopy) The interventional radiologist injects tiy plastic particles the size of grains of sand into the artery that is supplying blood to the fibroid tumor. This cuts off the blood flow and causes the tumor (or tumors) to shrink. The artery on the other side of the uterus is then treated. Fibroid embolization usually requires a hospi
