Why it's done

Uterine fibroids can cause severe symptoms in some women, including heavy menstrual bleeding, pelvic pain and swelling of the abdomen. Uterine artery embolization destroys fibroid tissue and eases these symptoms. And it provides an alternative to surgery to remove fibroids (myomectomy).

You might choose uterine artery embolization if you're premenopausal and:

• You have severe pain or heavy bleeding from uterine fibroids
• You want to avoid surgery, or surgery is too risky for you
• You want to keep your uterus
• Optimizing a future pregnancy isn't your chief concern