Before the Procedure:

• Bring items of clothing, toiletries, etc. for an overnight stay at the hospital.
• Do not eat or drink anything after midnight the night before your procedure.  Take your usual medications the morning of the procedure.

After the procedure:

As the uterine fibroids die, a number of symptoms which fall into the category of post-embolization syndrome will be present in varying degrees of severity and for varying lengths of time. The following describes these symptoms and their management in post-UFE patients.

Pain:

• Can be significant, especially during the first 6-8 hours.
• Toradol non-narcotic anti-inflammatory is used during and 5 days post procedure.
• Narcotics (Morphine or synthetic narcotics) will be given during and immediately after the procedure intravenously. A patient-demand infusion pump is used until the morning after the procedure. At this point a prescription for oral medications will be given for home use. These medications are for pain not responding to the non-steroidal anti-inflamatory drugs (NSAIDS). The dose of these medications should be reduced over the first few days after the procedure and are rarely needed beyond one week. These medications cause nausea and constipation. You cannot drive a car or make important decisions while taking these drugs. You should take a daily laxative while taking these medications, drink plenty of fluids and eat lots of fruits and vegetables to avoid problems with constipation.
• Tylenol is to be taken as directed on the bottle for the first week after treatment. This is mainly for fever, but also helps with pain control.

Fever:

• It is common to run a fever below 101º F after the procedure for a week or so.
• Please check your temp. daily for the first week.
• Infection uncommonly occurs after UFE but can be a very serious problem if not properly addressed.  If you have a temperature over 101º or fever with shaking chills, we ask that you seek medical attention immediately.  If you are unable to contact us, please go to the emergency room ASAP. 

Nausea:

• Usually due to narcotics.
• Treated with intravenous medications at the hospital.

Uterine Cramping:

• Normal after the procedure. Treated with NSAIDs; narcotics if severe.
• Should decrease over the days following treatment.
• May be associated with passage of small clots or tissue from the dying fibroids.
• Notify us if cramping is becoming more severe or lasting more than a week after the procedure.

Symptoms Associated with Uterine Fibroids:

• As symptoms vary in individuals, so does the length of time it takes for them to respond to the embolization.
• Bleeding usually decreases during the first period after treatment and continues to decrease thereafter. Inter-menstrual spotting is not uncommon and is related to the fibroids breaking down.
• The fibroids will feel softer and will cause less pressure after the procedure, but will not actually begin shrinking until several months after the procedure. Maximal shrinkage occurs at about one year.
• Cramping during periods should be less, but this may take several cycles before you see a substantial change.
• Early Ovarian failure (Menopause) is an extremely uncommon complication following UFE in patients under the age of 45.  As patient age increases, the risk of early ovarian failure increases.
• Women can and have become pregnant after UFE.  The effect of UFE on  the health of the fetus is not known at this time, although there are a number of reports of uncomplicated pregnancies following this procedure.

Follow Up

• Initial follow up with Wake Radiology Interventional Services - We will call you to schedule this appointment. 
• Your Gynecologist at three months after the procedure.