Questions to Ask Your Specialist About UFE
You’ve talked to your OB-GYN about your uterine fibroid diagnosis and possible treatment options. So…what’s the next step?
If you and your OB-GYN have determined that a treatment option such as Uterine Fibroid Embolization (UFE) might be right for you, it’s time to see a specialist, particularly an interventional radiologist, who can evaluate whether or not you are indeed a good candidate for the procedure.
Once referred to a specialist, you should take a copy of your medical records and any imaging that has confirmed your fibroid tumors to your consultation. A copy of your most recent gynecologic evaluation is also helpful, as an OB-GYN exam is recommended to rule out non-fibroid causes of symptoms.
To help you understand UFE as a procedure, and also to help you understand how the physician will manage your case, it is important to ask lots of questions. Below is a list of questions you may want to ask your specialist so that you can be prepared to make the best decision about your fibroid treatment.
- How would you coordinate my care with my OB-GYN?
- Which OB-GYNs refer patients to you for UFE?
- How often is the procedure successful in treating uterine fibroids?
- Are your patients happy with the procedure?
- What are typical complications, and how often do complications occur?
- How will I feel during and after the UFE procedure?
- How long should I expect to be away from work?
- What is the length of the procedure? What is the normal recovery time?
- How long should I expect to stay in the hospital?
- What kind of follow-up care is typical, and who manages it?
- What typically happens to the fibroids after the blood supply is cut off? Should I expect them to be expelled vaginally, or will the procedure simply result in my fibroids shrinking?
- Will my fibroids, or the symptoms of my fibroids, come back?
- Will I still get my periods after having UFE, and what will they be like?
- Will my insurance cover Uterine Fibroid Embolization?
- Can you help me determine if I am a candidate for UFE, and when can we schedule the procedure?
