What Will Happen After Embolization?

The catheter is removed and the doctor holds pressure on the groin to close the artery. The patient will then be directed to the recovery area or unit where a nurse will check her vital signs (blood pressure, heart rate, etc.) and help her to control the pain.

Most patients feel cramping after UFE. The severity of pain varies from patient to patient. Pain is related to the death of the fibroid and to some degree the reduced blood supply to the normal portion of the uterus. The pain is biphasic with the first 2-6 hours of intense pain followed by a second phase of mild to moderate pain that can be short or lasting up to several days. However, not every patient feels pain after embolization and the presence or absence of pain does not predict the outcome. The pain is treated actively by starting anti-inflammatory drugs 2 hours before the procedure and morphine. The morphine is administrated through a PCA (patient controlled analgesia) pump. The patient can push a button to administer the medication in case of pain. Using a less extensive embolization technique can sometimes reduce the severity and duration of the pain (embolization of the vessels going to the fibroids instead of blocking the main uterine artery). We have demonstrated that the pain medication uptake and the severe pain duration decreased significantly with this technique. However, there is not enough data comparing long-term results between these two techniques. When the pain becomes tolerable, and after at least 4-6 hours of bed rest, the patient can leave the hospital. Most of the time the patient spends one night in the hospital. We will contact the patient the day after embolization and again at day seven. We would like to see the patient to follow the result of the embolization at three and twelve months with a new MRI.