by Dan Rosett
Editor, Healthy Living Digest
Anton Community Newspapers

Michelle Green and Anne Brown have a lot in common. Both had excessive bleeding due to fibroid tumors. Both were advised to have a hysterectomy to cure the problem. And both had a new procedure that avoided surgery and solved their problem.

The women were treated by interventional radiologists at Long Island Jewish Medical Center and at North Shore University Hospital/Manhasset with a non-surgical procedure called "uterine artery embolization."

Fibroid tumors of the uterus are one of the most common, non-cancerous gynecological problems that affect women between the ages of 35-55. Each year about 175,000 women undergo the traditional hysterectomy to remove the fibroids. "For a small number of women, embolization is a very helpful alternative," says Vicki Seltzer, MD, chairman of the department of obstetrics and gynecology at LIJ.

"Embolization halts the heavy bleeding and/or pain associated with fibroids because the uterine arteries that nourish them are blocked by very small solid particles delivered through a catheter," explains David Siegel, MD. He is the chief of vascular/interventional radiology at LIJ who treated Green.

"Once this occurs," add Dan Simon, MD and Craig Greben, MD, the interventional radiology team at North Shore/Manhasset who treated Brown, "the tumors begin to shrink over a period of time. Patients are kept overnight for close monitoring of discomfort or pain. The success rate is high."

"This is a relatively new procedure and doctors are evaluating long-term results at this time" comments Dr. Seltzer. "Most women are not appropriate candidates for this technique; however, this is an exciting option for women who are. The indications and option for embolization should be thoroughly discussed between the patient and her gynecologist."

Brown, for example, could not have a hysterectomy because of a serious underlying heart condition. Green refused to have surgery and found Dr. Siegel after doing extensive research on the Internet.

The two women's heavy bleeding and pain, which had become daily parts of their lives, stopped shortly after their procedures. Both are much more comfortable and Green has returned to work.

Article reprinted with the permission of Anton Community Newspapers. Original article appeared in Healthy Living Digest, 1999