If you’ve been diagnosed with uterine fibroids, there’s a good chance a doctor has already mentioned hysterectomy. And for some women, hysterectomy is the right answer. But for many, it isn’t the only answer — and too often, it’s the only one presented.
Uterine Fibroid Embolization, known as UFE, is a minimally invasive procedure that treats symptomatic fibroids without removing the uterus, without general anesthesia, and without a single surgical incision. It’s been performed for more than 25 years, it’s FDA-approved, and major medical societies including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Society of Interventional Radiology recognize it as a safe, effective treatment option.
Despite all of that, most women who could benefit from UFE have never heard of it.
This guide is for anyone exploring their options. We’ll walk through what fibroids are, how UFE works, who it’s for, what recovery actually looks like, and how it compares to hysterectomy and myomectomy. By the end, you’ll have the information you need to have a real conversation with your doctor about the treatment path that’s right for you.
What Are Uterine Fibroids, and Why Do They Cause Problems?
Uterine fibroids are non-cancerous growths that develop in or on the muscular wall of the uterus. They’re incredibly common — by age 50, an estimated 70 to 80 percent of women will have developed at least one fibroid. Many women never know they have them because their fibroids stay small and cause no symptoms.
For others, fibroids become a daily source of disruption.
The symptoms depend on the size, number, and location of the fibroids, but the most common ones include:
- Heavy menstrual bleeding that soaks through pads or tampons within an hour
- Periods that last longer than a week
- Severe cramping or pelvic pain
- A feeling of fullness or pressure in the lower abdomen
- Frequent urination caused by fibroids pressing on the bladder
- Constipation from pressure on the bowel
- Pain during intercourse
- Lower back pain
- Fatigue and anemia from ongoing blood loss
When symptoms become severe enough to affect quality of life, it’s time to explore treatment. And that’s where the options matter.
The Treatment Options You Should Know About
When fibroids require treatment, there are essentially three paths:
Hysterectomy removes the uterus entirely. It’s the most definitive solution because fibroids can’t return if there’s no uterus. But it’s also major surgery, it eliminates the possibility of future pregnancy, and recovery typically takes 4 to 6 weeks.
Myomectomy removes the fibroids but leaves the uterus intact. It preserves fertility and is often recommended for women who want to become pregnant. Myomectomy is still surgery, though, with a recovery period of several weeks, and fibroids can grow back over time.
Uterine Fibroid Embolization (UFE) takes a completely different approach. Instead of cutting anything out, UFE cuts off the blood supply that feeds the fibroids, causing them to shrink and die off naturally. The uterus stays in place. There’s no major incision. And most women are back to normal activity within a week.
Each option has its place, and the right choice depends on your specific situation — your symptoms, the size and location of your fibroids, your age, your fertility goals, and your overall health. But you can’t make an informed decision if you’ve only been told about one option.
How UFE Actually Works
UFE is performed by an interventional radiologist — a physician specially trained in using medical imaging to guide minimally invasive procedures through the body’s blood vessels.
Here’s what happens during the procedure:
- You’re given conscious sedation, not general anesthesia. You’re relaxed and comfortable, but you’re not fully asleep, and there’s no breathing tube.
- A tiny incision is made in the wrist or upper thigh, about the size of a pinhole. This is where the catheter enters the artery.
- Using real-time X-ray imaging, the interventional radiologist guides a thin catheter through your arteries until it reaches the vessels that supply blood to the fibroids.
- Tiny particles are released through the catheter into those blood vessels. These particles block the flow of blood to the fibroids, starving them of the oxygen and nutrients they need to survive.
- The catheter is removed, and the tiny entry point is closed — no stitches needed.
The entire procedure typically takes one to three hours. Most patients go home the same day or stay one night for observation.
Once the blood supply is cut off, the fibroids begin to shrink. This happens gradually over weeks and months. Most women notice significant symptom improvement within the first few menstrual cycles, with continued improvement over the following 6 to 12 months.
What Recovery Really Looks Like
One of the biggest differences between UFE and surgery is how quickly you get your life back.
In the first 24 to 48 hours after UFE, most patients experience pelvic cramping that feels similar to strong menstrual cramps. This is a normal part of the process — it’s your body responding to the fibroids losing their blood supply. Pain medication manages it effectively, and it typically improves significantly within two to three days.
By the end of the first week, most women are back to normal daily activities, including desk work. Light exercise usually resumes within a week to ten days. Full activity, including more strenuous workouts, is usually cleared within two weeks.
Compare that to hysterectomy, where recovery typically requires 4 to 6 weeks of restricted activity, no heavy lifting, and a slow return to exercise.
For many women, that difference is life-changing — especially those who can’t afford to be out of work for a month, who are caring for children, or who simply want to get back to living.
Who Is a Good Candidate for UFE?
UFE is approved for women with symptomatic uterine fibroids who want to avoid hysterectomy. Good candidates typically:
- Have symptoms significant enough to affect daily life
- Want to preserve their uterus
- Are done having children (UFE’s effect on future fertility is still being studied, and most interventional radiologists recommend myomectomy for women actively trying to conceive)
- Are medically stable enough to undergo a minimally invasive procedure
UFE can treat multiple fibroids at once, regardless of their location in the uterus. Even women with very large or numerous fibroids are often candidates — something that’s not always possible with myomectomy.
The only way to know for sure whether UFE is right for you is through a consultation with an interventional radiologist, which typically includes a review of your symptoms, imaging studies like MRI or ultrasound, and a discussion of your treatment goals.
What the Research Says
UFE isn’t experimental. It has decades of clinical data behind it.
Studies consistently show that more than 85 percent of women experience significant symptom improvement after UFE. Bleeding is reduced, pain improves, and pressure symptoms resolve as the fibroids shrink. Long-term follow-up studies show that most women who have UFE remain satisfied with the results years later, and the need for a second procedure is relatively low.
Serious complications from UFE are rare. The most common side effects are the cramping and fatigue in the first few days after the procedure, both of which are temporary and manageable.
Why So Few Women Hear About UFE
If UFE is safe, effective, and minimally invasive, why isn’t it the first thing every woman with fibroids hears about?
Part of the answer is historical. Gynecologists have been the traditional gatekeepers for fibroid treatment, and hysterectomy and myomectomy are procedures they perform themselves. UFE, on the other hand, is performed by interventional radiologists — a different specialty. For decades, there simply wasn’t a strong referral relationship between these two fields.
That’s changing. More gynecologists are now aware of UFE and willing to refer patients to interventional radiology for a consultation. But many women still aren’t told about it unless they ask — or unless they do the research themselves and bring it up.
This is why education matters. Knowing that UFE exists, knowing it’s a legitimate option, and knowing how to ask about it is the difference between choosing a treatment path and being handed one.
What to Expect at a UFE Consultation
If you’re considering UFE, the first step is a consultation with a board-certified interventional radiologist. Here’s what to expect:
The consultation typically begins with a review of your medical history, your symptoms, and any imaging studies you’ve already had. If you haven’t had an MRI, your interventional radiologist may order one, because MRI provides the most detailed picture of fibroid size, number, and location.
From there, you and your physician will discuss whether UFE is a good fit for your situation, what the procedure would look like for you specifically, what recovery would involve, and what outcomes you can reasonably expect.
This is the time to ask questions. Bring a list. Ask about success rates. Ask about complications. Ask about how your specific fibroids compare to cases the physician has treated before. Ask about follow-up care. A good interventional radiologist will welcome every question and take the time to answer thoroughly.
Meeting With Fabio Komlos, MD
At his Mountain View, California practice, Fabio Komlos, MD provides UFE consultations and performs the procedure for women across the Bay Area and beyond. Dr. Komlos is a board-certified interventional radiologist with extensive experience in minimally invasive treatments for vascular and gynecologic conditions.
His approach is patient-first: every consultation begins with listening. Understanding your symptoms, your goals, and your concerns comes before any discussion of treatment, because the right decision has to start with the full picture of who you are and what matters to you.
If you’ve been told hysterectomy is your only option, or if you’re exploring alternatives before making a decision, a UFE consultation is a valuable next step.
Take the Next Step
Uterine fibroids don’t have to mean major surgery. They don’t have to mean weeks of downtime. And they certainly don’t have to mean losing your uterus if you’d rather keep it.
Uterine Fibroid Embolization is one of several options worth understanding before you commit to a treatment path. Whether UFE turns out to be right for you or not, you deserve to make that decision with all the information in front of you.
To schedule a consultation or learn more about UFE with Fabio Komlos, MD, call (650) 404-8445 or visit fabiokomlosmd.com.
Your health. Your body. Your decision — made with full information.
