Has anyone had an Ovarian Vein Embolization procedure?

[SourFizzyColaBottle]

I've recently been told that I have Pelvic Congestion Syndrome - essentially varicose veins in the pelvis / inside my cervix & near ovaries. The veins are not working properly so the blood isn't being moved out Fo them as it should so it essentially backing up and pooling in the area.

In order to correct this I would need to have a procedure called an Ovarian Embolization Procedure - which according to an NHS leaflet involves the insertion of a catheter (a small plastic tube) into a vein, usually in your neck or arm, manipulation of the catheter from there to reach the veins around the ovary, and then injections of contrast medium ‘X-ray dye’. Once the Interventional Radiologist has localised the veins supplying the veins, small metal coils (or other material) are inserted down the catheter and left in the vein to block it. Once blocked the vein is no longer contributing to blood flow in the wrong direction, other veins flowing the correct way take up the extra flow and your symptoms should improve. There is no evidence the procedure will affect your reproductive or sexual function.
The coils remain in place permanently and you will not know that they are there.

I'm quite worried about having this done and having coils inside my veins. My mind immediately thinks about the mesh incontinent women had implanted to try and help fix their issues which instead resulted in loads of pain and even more incontinence.

Has anyone dealt with Pelvic Congestion Syndrome and had it treated through the Ovarian Embolization Procedure? Has it worked? Have you had any side effects?

I don't have any experience, sorry but I wondered how you were diagnosed as I think I might have it but my dr isn't interested.

I haven’t had this done but am familiar with it as will need the procedure for a v similar but not identical issue. Professor Mark Whiteley at the Whiteley Clinic is a renowned specialist in the area (private), but the website has a ton of information you might find helpful to read.

@Buttalapasta

Usually people have very visual varicose/bulbous veins in the pelvis and upper thigh. Perhaps also piles and within the vaginal area. Gold standard diagnostic is a vaginal ultrasound I think. I have also had a CT scan to check the anatomy as some people have May Turner syndrome and also to check which veins may have leaky valves and therefore blood flow in the wrong direction that causes the pooling and varicose veins.

I went in for a vaginal ultrasound for something totally different and the woman doing my ultrasound picked it up. I never knew such a thing existed before then

Thank you very much! That's really helpful. I will check him out

Oddly I don't have any varicose veins - at least that I know of. But I do have some of the other factors that have been listed online that lend themselves to being more prone to this: 2+ children, PCOS, was previously quite overweight (but now very slim), tilted cervix, in my 40's, painful heavy periods (I have endometriosis as well, so figured it was due to that) etc.

Other than painful period cramps during the first day or two of my cycle I don't experience much pain the rest of the month. I'm trying to weigh up my options as to whether or not I go ahead and do the procedure because as far as I know it's not hugely impacted my life so far (or maybe it has and I'm just used to the pain and uncomfortableness of everything down there?). If I don't have it done I'm trying to figure out what might happen down the road when I'm older

Tricky and don’t know what’s right. I have daily heavy/dragging feeling in my pelvis from varicose veins and other issues.

I am on lifeline anticoagulants which isn’t that much fun. I would think you’d need to be anticoagulated for 6-8 weeks after this procedure as side effect will be DVT. Not awful but a consideration.

Good luck!

Oh gosh really? Sorry to hear that. I have no experience or knowledge of anticoagulants, so not sure what the impact of being in these would be either short term or long term.

Do you have this condition as well though? I often feel like I have a heavy full / dragging down feeling down in my uterus / cervix area. Just always thought that was kind of the way it was meant to be

I do yes. Mine has been caused because I’ve had multiple DVTs (and also got DC, mid 40’s etc.) and have an issue with a vein in my pelvis.

I’m under a vascular consultant for it.

Many people have anticoagulants after operations and as this is veinous surgery I would think it v v likely you would. Not a biggie temporarily: risk of bleeding if you cut yourself (will make periods worse), bruising etc. Most people will be absolutely fine.

To be a woman somedays eh?!

Yes, I had the procedure over 12 years ago. It was very straightforward, painless with little recovery time and worked. Not had a single issue since. Very positive experience!

Created an account to tell you that my friend had this done and the coil travelled from her illiac vein to her HEART and she had to have open heart surgery to remove it.

Permanently damaging a heart valve and you can imagine the trauma both physically and emotionally to go through this in your 30s.

Thank you for the information. I've had two varicose veins removed and have that awful dragging, aching feeling in my pelvis and this seemed to fit. I hope you get the information you need to make a decision OP.

Prior to my embolisation, I had terrible dragging and pain. I couldn’t stand for any length of time. It was really debilitating. I can honestly say it was an instant cure.

Thank you for the replies detailing first hand (and a friends) experience. I really want to make an informed decision about this. I have a small haemorrhoid as well, aside from being ugly (who's really looking anyway lol), it doesn't cause me any pain. I had considered looking into having it removed, but then came across a thread on MN where a fair few posters had the same procedure done and had nothing good to say about it. Some experienced extensive nerve damage and most wished they'd never had it.

I'm worried that surgery using the corrective coils will end up causing me more issues in the long run, so trying to do as much research as I can.

@Newnamelondon & @Haleso do you mind if I ask if you (and the friend who had it done) had it done on the NHS or at a private specialist clinic? Just wondering if that has made a difference in the two outcomes you mentioned

Mine was done by the NHS at Heartlands Hospital in Birmingham by a specialist called Dr Paul Crowe. They were fantastic throughout the whole process.

Hers was done privately and then she had open heart surgery at the Brompton. There have been other cases of coils travelling to the heart and although the risk is very low as you can imagine this was beyond terrifying and life changing for my friend.

Hi there. Iv recently received this diagnosis after over a year of begging the gp. Had an ultrasound and the radiographer saw it. I actually don't have an appointment with my gp to discuss this until the middle of may. I'm in alot of pain. It's driving me crazy.

Before any procedure make sure they rule out may thurner syndrome and nutcracker syndrome as the cause of your pelvic congestion. If you have either of those without knowing and you treat your pelvic congestion you will be in a lot more pain than you started with.

Hi, sorry to post on an old thread, but thought I'd check - did you have this procedure in the end, and if so, how did it go? I'm due to have one in September and want to learn from others' experiences if possible! Thanks