DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ask4UFE is pleased to announce the #LoveYourUterus campaign to encourage women with painful fibroids to share their stories of health and healing. Uterine fibroids, non-cancerous tumors that grow within the uterus, often result in women having hysterectomies because they are unaware of a less-invasive procedure, uterine fibroid embolization (UFE). Lynne Haze, a prominent radio personality in Dallas, Texas, chose to share her recent experience with UFE so that other women in similar situations know that there is another option when dealing with painful fibroids.
Dr. Suzanne Slonim of Precision Vascular & Interventional recently performed the UFE procedure for Ms. Haze. Since moving to Dallas in 2000, Dr. Slonim has become a leader in the Interventional Radiology field. She practices all aspects of Interventional Radiology and has special interests in uterine fibroid embolization, interventional oncology, pain management procedures, and treatment of peripheral vascular disease.
“When I first met Lynne, I was struck by the pain she described to me that she’s experienced for years because of her painful fibroids,” said Dr. Slonim. “Lynne already had undergone surgery in an attempt to mitigate her symptoms to no avail. After performing her UFE, I’m happy to report that Lynne is living fibroid-free for the first time in years.”
UFE provides relief from symptomatic fibroids, while also allowing women to avoid the higher risks and much longer recovery from surgery. Most important, with UFE, women keep their uterus, which is a significant and often unappreciated advantage over hysterectomy due to the prevalent consequences many women suffer post-hysterectomy.
“I want women to know that they have a choice, that there is a choice that you don’t have to spend six weeks of your life laid up in bed,” said Lynne Haze, prominent radio host in Dallas. “That there is a choice that this could be something where if you still want to have children, you can have children. You don’t have to have your uterus removed. There is another alternative that people need to know about, and I am really passionate about it. I am so passionate about getting the word out to women to say it's okay, look at me!”
To follow Lynne’s fibroid-free journey, check out the #LoveYourUterus campaign video, and follow along on social media using the #LoveYourUterus.
Uterine fibroid embolization begins with a tiny incision that gives the interventional radiologist doctor access to uterine arteries feeding the fibroids. The doctor then passes a catheter, a small hollow tube, through the incision, guiding it near the fibroids. Once the catheter is near the fibroids, microspheres (tiny biocompatible spheres smaller than grains of sand) are released into the blood vessels feeding the fibroids. Fibroids are treated from both the right and left uterine arteries so that the blood flow feeding the fibroids is blocked, causing the fibroids to shrink and alleviating symptoms. The entire procedure lasts typically less than an hour and is often performed as an outpatient procedure. The average recovery time before patients return to work or their normal daily activities is approximately one week.
The embolic spheres used in this procedure are called Embosphere® Microspheres and are manufactured by Merit Medical Systems, Inc. (MMSI). According to Merit Medical’s website, Embosphere® Microspheres are the most widely used material for UFE procedures, with more than 350,000 procedures worldwide, 15 years of clinical experience, and studied in at least 200 journals.
For more information about this procedure and to find a physician in your area, visit Ask4UFE.com/LoveYourUterus.
About Ask4UFE
Ask4UFE is a program established to educate women about uterine fibroids and their treatment options, mainly uterine fibroid embolization (UFE). With a less invasive approach, and an alternative to a hysterectomy, UFE uses Merit Medical’s Embosphere® Microspheres to block the blood vessels feeding the fibroids. With their blood flow blocked, the fibroids shrink and symptoms improve. Embosphere® Microspheres were FDA cleared for UFE in 2002 and are the most extensively studied spherical embolic product worldwide. Please consult the product labels and inserts for any indications, contraindications, potential complications, warnings, precautions, and directions for use. To learn more about UFE, visit Ask4UFE.com or call 877-Ask4UFE to schedule a consultation.
Neither the content on the ask4UFE.com website nor this press release is intended or recommended as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified physician regarding any medical questions or conditions.