If you’re a woman suffering from pain or discomfort due to uterine fibroids, you’re not alone. An estimated 26 million women in the U.S. have uterine fibroids — and more than 15 million will experience symptoms or health concerns.
Uterine fibroids are common, non-cancerous growths in the uterus, affecting 20 to 80% of women by age 50. Often, these benign tumors are small and do not cause issues.
However, for some women, the growths can lead to painful symptoms, including:
- Heavy or prolonged periods
- Pelvic pain or pressure
- Frequent urination
- Trouble emptying your bladder
- Constipation
- Enlargement of lower abdomen
While all women can develop uterine fibroids, Black women are disproportionately affected. Black women often have fibroids at younger ages, larger growths and more severe symptoms compared to other racial groups.
Pain doesn’t have to be part of life. Women experiencing fibroid pain can find expert care, advanced treatments and support at Wellstar Windy Hill Hospital.
Fibroid care close to home
Wellstar Windy Hill Hospital provides a minimally-invasive treatment called uterine fibroid embolization (UFE), which can help improve symptoms and quality of life. While fibroids can also be treated with surgical options like a hysterectomy, UFE offers a non-surgical solution that preserves the uterus.
During this procedure, an interventional radiologist inserts sand-like particles into the artery that supplies the fibroid, blocking its blood supply. This method prevents estrogen and other nutrients from reaching the tumor, which can cause the fibroid to shrink up to 50%.
Wellstar Windy Hill Hospital’s trained imaging team performs UFE every day, offering a wealth of expertise and experience. Providing high-quality, comprehensive fibroid care close to home can make all the difference for people with fibroid pain.
“UFE offers many women a minimally-invasive solution to treat fibroid symptoms,” said Dr. Jordan Ray, interventional radiologist with Quantum Radiology, who works with the imaging team at Wellstar Windy Hill Hospital. “When this uterine preservation therapy is compared with other treatment options, patients recover faster and experience better outcomes without the need for surgery.”
In addition to a quicker recovery time and fewer complications, women who choose UFE at Wellstar also benefit from Wellstar Fibroid Care Coordinators.
Wellstar Fibroid Care Coordinators help the process go smoothly for patients, including scheduling appointments, obtaining insurance verification and coordinating referrals. One-on-one care is provided at every step, from pre-op to surgery and through recovery.
With complete fibroid care and a supportive team at Wellstar Windy Hill Hospital, women can get back to living pain-free.
For more information and to find out if UFE is the right treatment for you, call (770) 644-1636.
