uterine fibroid embolisation

[Ragtime69]

I am having a uterine fibroid embolization tomorrow and was wondering if anyone could share their experiences of it if they have had one.

thanks

Yes! I had it done a few months ago. I wasn't looking forward to the being conscious but sedated bit (I'd rather have been unconscious or fully conscious!) but actually it was ok and i was pretty aware of what was going on around me, had a bit of a nap i think, but couldn't see anything as you have to lie flat.
I was in theatre for about an hour in total. Procedure itself was painless bare a bit of local anaesthetic, they gave me a load of stuff before i went down and I think they kept it topped up through the canula during the procedure. I just had those oxygen prongs up my nose but I don't think they did very much as they kept falling out!
The pain afterwards though was excruitiating!! I won't lie, it was the worst pain i have ever been in (sorry)......I'd read that you have to lie flat for 4 hours afterwards but they put some clip thing in my artery which meant I only had to do 1 hour. That was awful because I couldn't move and i felt like my uterus was having contractions (never been in labour but that's how I'd imagine it). They gave me extra painkillers and kept them regularly topped up so i managed some sleep but felt pretty rough. The first ones i took orally came straight back up with the water and I only had tea and toast for my dinner that evening (I didn't go to theatre til about 3pm).

I got discharged mid morning the day after and went home to bed for a few hours but felt well enough to eat that evening. I just felt tired and a bit wobbly for the first couple of days but went out for short walks by the end of the week. They signed me off work for 2.5 weeks and i didn't do any strenuous exercise in that time other than walking.
The results so far have been good, bleeding has really reduced although i'm still bleeding about every 3 weeks but consultant said to keep a log of that over the next 6 months and see how it settles down. I'm so happy i had it done, even bleeding like this quite frequently will be life changing compared to worrying about leaving the house a couple of days a month.
Good luck!

I'm thinking of having this. Can I ask if you can feel a difference externally - my fibroids protrude a lot

@emmathedilemma

Yes! I had it done a few months ago. I wasn't looking forward to the being conscious but sedated bit (I'd rather have been unconscious or fully conscious!) but actually it was ok and i was pretty aware of what was going on around me, had a bit of a nap i think, but couldn't see anything as you have to lie flat. I was in theatre for about an hour in total. Procedure itself was painless bare a bit of local anaesthetic, they gave me a load of stuff before i went down and I think they kept it topped up through the canula during the procedure. I just had those oxygen prongs up my nose but I don't think they did very much as they kept falling out! The pain afterwards though was excruitiating!! I won't lie, it was the worst pain i have ever been in (sorry)......I'd read that you have to lie flat for 4 hours afterwards but they put some clip thing in my artery which meant I only had to do 1 hour. That was awful because I couldn't move and i felt like my uterus was having contractions (never been in labour but that's how I'd imagine it). They gave me extra painkillers and kept them regularly topped up so i managed some sleep but felt pretty rough. The first ones i took orally came straight back up with the water and I only had tea and toast for my dinner that evening (I didn't go to theatre til about 3pm). I got discharged mid morning the day after and went home to bed for a few hours but felt well enough to eat that evening. I just felt tired and a bit wobbly for the first couple of days but went out for short walks by the end of the week. They signed me off work for 2.5 weeks and i didn't do any strenuous exercise in that time other than walking. The results so far have been good, bleeding has really reduced although i'm still bleeding about every 3 weeks but consultant said to keep a log of that over the next 6 months and see how it settles down. I'm so happy i had it done, even bleeding like this quite frequently will be life changing compared to worrying about leaving the house a couple of days a month. Good luck!

Hi

Thanks for this. one of the things I am also dreading is the sedated but aware bit...why is that?

I am expecting quite a bit of pain...do you mind if I ask how big your fibroid is...and have you had it measured since? I have been told the bigger the more pain you can expect!
my procedure is scheduled for 9 am at least I wont be hanging around all day tomorrow (assuming its not changed)

OP I had UFE in 2014 and it was a breeze. No pain really. I suppose there can be a twinge as they needle through to the fibroids and they need you perfectly still because it's a very delicate op. Went home next day after a night in the hospital and some morphine. Not much pain though. No scarring I can't even tell were the scope went. About 6 months later (I lived abroad at that time). I came back for what I used to refer as a spit n polish. Which was vaginal to resection some bits. I had loads of fibroids that sonographer stopped counting at 20. Biggest was -if I recall- 5.2 or 5.7. I had read extensively on risks and was happy that in the right hands the risks are minimal. They doc I think managed to get 17 fibroids which was rather good. Let me know if you have any other questions

I had a big one and a couple of smaller ones. I've had various sizes quoted from different scans but i think in the order of 5-6cm. Uterus approx 13 weeks was quoted when I first saw the gynaecologist.
I don't think mine protruded but i have definitely put on weight round my middle in the last couple of years so not sure what's fat and what might have been fibroids. I think a trained hand could feel them but i couldn't. I had a sensation of something to my right hand side, just to the inside of my pelvis and often get a sharp stabbing pain there but i still have that.
I haven't had them scanned since the procedure and when I spoke to the consultant 3 months after it he said they don't unless there's any cause for concern or you aren't getting the results they'd expect. I had mine done privately so that might vary from place to place.
oh, and i forgot to mention the constipation......it must have been due to the painkillers which i hardly took once i got home but i was bunged up for days and the pain of that become worse than the pain from the procedure! I think i had it done on Wednesday and didn't go to the loo until I took laxatives on Saturday (and I eat a lot of fruit & veg and drink plenty of water). I actually suspect i might have got dehydrated on the day of the procedure as i was told to have no more than 500ml before going to the hospital, sat around waiting to be seen (I had my pre-op stuff done in the morning as it was booked at quite short notice), and then i didn't have water until I could sit up again at gone 5pm, and some of that i threw up!

ok so I have some prunes in stock! thanks for that..not even thought that may be an issue.

I only have one fibroid..its 15 x 10 x 9 cm......I can feel it easily especially when I lie down, (it extends to about my belly button), whether it shows or not I don't know..i am a little overweight (about 7 pounds but I do carry it around my waist) so whether this has an effect only time will tell.

Good luck Ragtime!

thanks ginger and everyone for replying!

Good luck! I had this procedure last year and agree 100% with Emma: there was a bit of mild pain during the operation, then a LOT OF PAIN afterwards on the ward (I was on a morphine drip which the night cover nurse refilled and then hooked the clicker away out of my reach ). The ward I was on was really chaotic so I persuaded them to discharge me home the instant I could do a wee. The constipation from the morphine, though, was grim and because I'd never had it before, I assumed it was to do with the embolisation; once I'd doubled up on the laxatives in my discharge pack, I was fine.

My periods were much lighter immediately, and I think the size has shrunk a bit, although I'm probably knocking on the door of perimenopause (46) so it should shrink more then. I hope you feel lots better soon - be kind to yourself!!

Just as a side note, I hate the way consultants refer to fibroid/distended uterus size in terms of weeks' pregnancy. I've been unable to have children mainly because of undiagnosed fibroids through my 20/30s, and found it pretty upsetting to be shown a scan of what looked like a curled-up baby in my womb while some bloke jabbed at the screen and said, 'We'd size this as a 16-week pregnancy fibroid.'

How did it go?

Hi. .I needn't have worried about sedation as I wasn't, it went ok. I feel rough now tbh...think I have post embolisation syndrome lot of pain..but it will be fine

The worst thing was the heat on ward!

Really glad it went ok! Don't stint on the laxatives...

@Ragtime69,

Hi, I am thinking of having UFE. How did yours worked out. Did you have heavy bleeding and is it better now? Did you have lots of pain after as previous poster?