Uterine embolisation

[hopeishere]

Anyone has this done recently? I've been referred for it following an MRI to check if my fibroid was suitable and it is!

Wonder how long the wait will be?!

Yes, I had it done (luckily) just before lockdown. I had large fibroid (reviews on size seemed to be mixed but 5cm+) and a couple of small ones. I went privately thanks to health insurance through work. The NHS had a wait time of 26 weeks for investigation procedures so dread to think how long it would have been for treatment, probably the same again and that was before covid hit! :(
I wasn't sure about the procedure itself as they do it with you conscious but sedated but actually it was ok. Took about an hour and I was aware of what was going on in the room but not in any pain. The pain afterwards was horrendous. Like nothing I have ever experienced before and it started almost as soon as they finished the procedure despite the copious amount of drugs they'd been pumping into me. I've never been in labour but it was how I'd imagine it would feel with contraction like pains constantly. You have to lie flat after the procedure so that didn't help! The info I'd read beforehand said 4 hours of lying flat but they used some clip on the artery so thankfully I only had to do an hour.
I stayed in hospital overnight (procedure wasn't until late afternoon) and went home the next morning. I felt pretty rough afterwards, struggled to keep water down the first night and didn't have any dinner. I think the pain killers and whatever sedatives they'd given me had worse side effects than the procedure. After a decent nights sleep in my own bed I felt a lot better apart from constipation caused by the codeine! Didn't have any particularly bad bleeding as a result of the procedure, the incision site was small and just felt a bit bruised and tender for about a week. I was signed off work for 2 and a bit weeks (procedure was Wednesday so got the rest of that week and 2 full weeks off) but by the end of it I started to feel like I was skiving! I didn't do any intense exercise other than walking during that time.
It has eased symptoms of the fibroids but I'm still having to tranexamic acid a couple of times on my heaviest day which is a bit disappointing and i've had some pretty bad cramps still. Also getting a lot more discharge and watery blood at either end of my period which I didn't get before. I'm currently in two minds if to go back to my GP about this or if that's just my normal now.

Thanks that's really helpful!

I am going to assume you haven't had it yet? I had it done back in July. my mri scan was jan 2020. I was a bit surprised to be called in tbh. I wasn't sedated but the pain relief was fine. I was surprised by how many people were in the theatre actually! I had mine first thing and went home following day. I threw up a lot afterwards. it took a few weeks to fully feel better from it. yes I have noticed a difference in my periods .I had it done because of severe bleeding. .but I am in peri so it's hard to truly know the effect of each factor!