Uterine fibroid (myoma) embolization - Minimally invasive therapy | Uniclinic Frankfurt, Germany

9.90

Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Overview

Age group

Adults

Type of care

Outpatient

Method

Minimally invasive

About the offer

The uterine artery, also known as arteria uterina, supplies blood to the uterus and the myoma within it. Embolization is a process that involves injecting small particles into the side branches of this artery to block the blood supply to the myoma. The procedure involves puncturing the femoral artery in the groin region and inserting a guide tube or "lock" into it. A catheter, a thin, flexible plastic tube, is then inserted through the sheath and guided to the uterine artery under angiographic visual control and contrast medium injections. The catheter is then placed into the vessels supplying the myoma. The patient only feels warmth during the contrast medium injections, which disappears within a few seconds. The contrast medium helps locate the myoma vessels by making them visible in angiography. After the catheter is correctly placed, the embolization is carried out under angiographic control. Embolisate particles are injected into the myoma vessels to permanently prevent blood supply and nutrition to the myoma. The particles used for embolization are specifically tailored to this purpose to mainly reach the fibroids and not the healthy uterine tissue. After the fibroid embolization, the catheter is removed from the groin artery, and a pressure bandage is applied to the patient, which remains in place for 4-6 hours. The patient rests in bed for 6 hours, during which regular blood pressure and pulse checks occur, and pain medication is given if necessary. Fibroid embolization results in a significant improvement in the quality of life of women treated. A published study found that patients reported an improvement in pain (81. 5%), bleeding symptoms (79. 2%), feeling of pressure in the lower abdomen (78. 6%), bladder dysfunction (60%), and myoma-related problems (71. 4%). 88. 2% of patients reported that their daily life no longer felt restricted, 62. 5% experienced less suffering from symptoms of fatigue, and 89. 5% reported improvement in their depression. The study was conducted at the Institute for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology at the University Hospital in Frankfurt in cooperation with the Clinic for Gynecology and Obstetrics at the University Hospital. The study resulted in a technical success rate of over 98% and a complete resolution of myomatous symptoms in 85-94% of cases.

What’s included

Medical service

Examination

clinical history-taking
medical records review
physical examination
consultation with an interventional radiologist

Laboratory tests

complete blood count (CBC)
blood type test (ABO, Rh)
biochemical analysis of blood (kidney and liver function tests, electrolytes)
inflammation blood tests
coagulation studies
urinalysis

Diagnosis

ultrasound imaging of the pelvis
magnetic resonance angiography (MRA)
post-procedure scan of the pelvis

Treatment

pre-procedure patient preparation
uterine artery embolization for uterine fibroid (myoma)
post-procedure care
symptomatic care

Other

doctor's fee
cost of essential medicines
cost of essential materials
local anesthesia
nursing service
discharge medical records
further recommendations

Distant service

follow-up consultations

Extra add-ons

Local transportation

Airport transfer

Personal coordinator

HealthDocs translate

Visa Support

AiroCare

AiroMedical support

Payment protection

Patient advocacy

Price match

Meet the provider

Prof. Dr. med. Thomas Vogl

interventional radiology, TACE, interventional oncology

9.90

Excellent

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Location

Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany

FAQ

How many patients have been treated?

According to a report by the Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR), the number of fibroid embolizations performed in the US alone has reached at least 30,000, with treatments increasing from 4,165 in 1999 to 8,605 in 2000.

Will the embolization material cause any harm to the uterus?

The particles that are used during fibroid embolization are specially designed for this procedure and have a specific size. This size is chosen to ensure that the particles primarily enter the tumor and not the healthy uterine tissue. The particles are guided to the tumor vessels as they have a larger diameter compared to the normal vessels that supply the uterus. The healthy uterus is supplied by various vessels, which means that there are usually no issues with its blood circulation.

The particles flow in the direction of the blood stream and get stuck in the smallest blood vessels known as capillaries. They cannot go past this barrier and do not circulate freely in the rest of the body.

Is it safe to leave these particles in the uterus?

These particles have been used by FDA for 20 years. The procedure has been approved and is the most widely used. Thousands of patients have already been treated without any long-term complications occurring.

Is this new method still in the testing phase? If you are dealing with scientific publishing on this topic, you would notice that over 300 articles have been published since the introduction of this procedure. In America, over 12,000 patients are treated with this method every year. This procedure has been approved by the FDA, which is the American regulatory authority for medicines, medical devices, and procedures. The FDA has approved all the medicines and equipment required for myoma embolization and other devices for use with patients suffering from this condition.