What are the Possible Complications?

Besides cramping, the patient may have some nausea and vomiting after the procedure. This can be due to the embolization but also to the narcotic medication. Mild or moderate pelvic pain can be present for several days along with fatigue. Some patients will have a slight fever and increased pain and nausea 2-3 days after the procedure. This is known as the post embolization syndrome and simply requires symptomatic treatment. In the case of post embolization syndrome with fever, we prefer to do a blood test to exclude any infection. The rate of major complications is very low. To date, four deaths are reported worldwide related to infection in two patients, and pulmonary embolus in two other cases. 1-5% of patients experience amenorrhea (loss of menstrual periods). This complication is usually temporary. Permanent cessation of menstruation (amenorrhea) seldom occurs in patients younger than 40 years old and has been reported primarily in pre-menopausal women. Death of uterine tissue is rare. The infection rate after embolization is very low and can be treated by antibiotics most of the time. Some patients need an additional surgical procedure such as myomectomy or hysterectomy (less than 1%). Expulsion of fibroids is another complication that can appear several months after embolization. In this case, sometimes the dead fibroid is delivered spontaneously or needs to be removed by hysteroscopy.