Three out of every four women develop uterine fibroids by age 50, yet most doctors only mention hysterectomy or myomectomy as treatment options without offering a less invasive way to treat fibroids. At the Orange County Interventional Radiology Center, board-certified interventional radiologists treat fibroids without removing the uterus, without general anesthesia and without a multi-week recovery in bed.

How Do Fibroids Impact Daily Life?

Fibroids are noncancerous growths that form in the muscular wall of the uterus. They can range in size from a seed to a grapefruit, and a single uterus can hold several at once. Although they are benign, they can cause periods that are so heavy that women have to plan their week around bathroom access. They can also lead to iron deficiency anemia, lower abdominal pain, frequent urination, pain during intimacy and pressure on the lower back. Some women endure these symptoms for years before reaching out, simply assuming that heavy bleeding and pain are part of their normal cycle.  

What Is Uterine Fibroid Embolization?

Uterine fibroid embolization (UFE) is a minimally invasive treatment that shrinks fibroids by cutting off their blood supply. It is performed through a tiny puncture in the wrist or groin, with no surgical incision, no removal of tissue and no overnight hospital stay. UFE leaves the uterus and ovaries fully intact. View our full UFE treatment overview for more information.  

Why So Many Women Are Never Told About UFE

UFE has been used since 1995 to treat fibroids and is endorsed by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, but awareness is still lagging behind. Gynecologists are surgeons by training, and the techniques they offer are the ones they perform. UFE is performed by interventional radiologists, who practice a separate specialty. A 2017 nationwide survey from the Society of Interventional Radiology found that 44 percent of women diagnosed with fibroids had never heard of UFE, and a 2024 follow-up showed that only 17 percent of diagnosed women were presented with UFE as a treatment option. Patients often discover the treatment only after a second opinion or a late-night search for alternatives to hysterectomy.

How Does Uterine Fibroid Embolization Work?

After local anesthetic and light sedation, the interventional radiologist makes a pinpoint puncture in the radial artery at the wrist. Using live X-ray imaging, a thin catheter is threaded to the uterine arteries that feed the fibroids. Microscopic particles, smaller than grains of sand, are released through the catheter and lodge in the vessels supplying the fibroids. While healthy uterine tissue keeps its own blood supply through other vessels, the fibroids are starved of nourishment, softening and shrinking steadily over the next three to six months. The active treatment time is typically under an hour. 

What the Research Shows About UFE

• Symptom Relief Rates: UFE has a satisfaction rate of >90%, with a much lower complication rate at around 1.25% (rather than a complication rate of 17% for hysterectomy). 
• How UFE Compares to Hysterectomy: Outcomes from a 10-year randomized EMMY trial found that about two-thirds of UFE patients were able to avoid hysterectomy and that the improvement of symptoms after 10 years was comparably stable.

Who Is a Good Candidate for UFE?

Your candidacy for this treatment is determined after we have reviewed imaging results and had a one-on-one consultation. UFE is suitable for most patients with symptomatic fibroids. 

Good candidates are usually those who:

• Have heavy or prolonged periods, particularly when bleeding has caused anemia or interfered with life and comfort.
• Feel pelvic pressure or bulk symptoms, such as a swollen lower abdomen, frequent urination, or constipation, are tied to fibroid size.
• Want to keep their uterus for any reason, including personal, cultural, or future reproductive reasons.
• Have tried hormonal management without success, or cannot tolerate the side effects of long-term hormone therapy.

UFE is generally not recommended for women who:

• Have a current pelvic infection or unexplained pelvic mass that needs surgical evaluation first.
• Have already gone through menopause without symptoms, as fibroids usually shrink on their own. 

Your Recovery Timeline

During the first 24 to 48 hours, you will have strong cramping similar to a heavy period. This can be managed at home with medication and a heat pack on a low setting placed on your lower abdomen.  You may also experience some nausea after the treatment, which can also be reduced with medication. By day three or four, most patients are off pain medication and back to light activity. You can return to a desk job within five to seven days and to normal activity after two weeks. 

Periods may start to lighten by the first or second cycle after your treatment. Other symptoms like pressure and frequent urination, will also ease as the fibroids shrink. You will likely notice changes between months three and six, and by one year, you will have your full benefits. 

Why the Type of Physician Performing Your UFE Matters

UFE procedures require knowledge of vascular imaging and image-guided treatments. The physician who performs the treatment needs to map the uterine arteries with X-ray technology and deliver embolic particles with millimeter accuracy. This needs to be the work of an interventional radiologist who has completed a diagnostic radiology residency followed by an interventional radiology fellowship. The expertise needed for this procedure totals six to seven years of post-medical-school training focused on these techniques. 

What Makes OCIR Different for UFE Care

The Orange County Interventional Radiology Center is led by Dr. Kevin Burns and Dr. Jimmy Ton, board-certified interventional radiologists who focus their practice on minimally invasive embolization. Patients are seen at three Orange County offices in Lake Forest, Mission Viejo and Irvine, with detailed, personal consultations that include direct review of your imaging and plenty of time to go over all of your questions. Your treatment will happen in an outpatient suite instead of a hospital, which keeps scheduling more flexible and costs lower.

Schedule Your UFE Consultation in Orange County

If heavy bleeding, pelvic pressure, frequent urination or other fibroid-related symptoms are impacting your life, you can start with a consultation to find out whether UFE fits your situation. This treatment is a good alternative to surgery for the right patient and can reduce downtime while still providing relief. Call Orange County Interventional Radiology Center at (949) 919-6169 or book online to meet with us.