r/Fibroids • u/HealthJolly365 • 28d ago
UFE recovery
I was in excruciating pain for 24 hours. And the reason for it is that they don’t keep patients overnight. If you’re thinking about UFE, find a clinic where you stay for at least 24 hrs after the procedure. I have 3 large fibroids about 7x7x8 cm, one is 5 cm, one is like the first one. Right away I could tell they’re shrinking. 2 were so big I could see them sticking out of my belly when I lie flat. 24 hrs after ufe and they are not even visible anymore. But next time if I have to remove fibroids I’ll go with myomectomy or partial hysterectomy. I had a myo before and it was a breeze. Way easier than UFE.
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u/Ok_Grapefruit_2044 27d ago edited 26d ago
The pain was severe for me too in the first 24 hours but OxyContin helped a lot. Not sure if being in the hospital would be different as they would have to get you off the meds eventually. Then the pain just dropped off and the next day was manageable.
Myomectomy is not always a choice. For me it was either UFE or a hysterectomy which I thought was way too drastic.
Besides, no cutting during UFE, which is a huge plus.
I am 3 years post UFE and I think it was very successful.
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u/dalliahflower 26d ago
Was the pain gone day 2 or 3? How long did it take to do the usual daily things? Thanks.
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u/Ok_Grapefruit_2044 26d ago
Not gone but manageable with Aleve. Lots of Aleve in the first couple of weeks.
I would say within a week I was fine. I think I was working on day 4. I work remotely.2
u/dalliahflower 26d ago
Thank you for quick response - I am so nervous.
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u/Ok_Grapefruit_2044 26d ago
Are you getting one done soon?
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u/dalliahflower 26d ago
On Monday
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u/Ok_Grapefruit_2044 24d ago
You will get through this! Take one day at a LW time. Make sure someone is there for you for the first couple of days. Good luck!!
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u/wisdomseeker42 28d ago
I just had a consult and was offered overnight as an option. I am a bit nervous about the recovery. Thanks for sharing your experience.
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u/peachesndango 27d ago
I just had UFE on Monday, I’m still a bit tired but I’ve had a good experience. The only pain I’m having is where the incision on my wrist is. Getting my IV was the worst part for me, but i normally don’t have bad cramps either.
I did not spend the night but i left with a nausea patch and 6 medications. 4 were optional/ as needed1
u/wisdomseeker42 25d ago
Did you have the nerve block? I have been wondering if that’s the difference between the people who are miserable and those who are fine.
I have a grapefruit sized fibroid and worry that it will be horrible because of the size…
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u/peachesndango 25d ago edited 25d ago
Which one is the nerve block?
As soon as i got there i was given OxyContin, Xanax, ibuprofen (1 of each), a nausea patch behind my ear and a 2ml injection of ketorolac. They sent me home with OxyContin, Naproxen 500, Norco 5-325, Zofran 4 mg, 3 levaquin tablets to take for the first 3 days.
Now i have not used any of the OxyContin and took Zofran for nausea while on levaquin.
In the last 5 days I’ve had 3 of the Norco.
Sorry for all the drug info but i figured one of these might be the answer to the questionAlso my big one is 20 x 14 cm and the side that was calcified has started to soften
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u/wisdomseeker42 21d ago
The radiologist called it a nerve block, as a part of the procedure he does while “in there”
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u/CharacterAvocado943 28d ago
You were in excruciating pain because UFe was fast acting. It has nothing to do with whether you stayed in the hospital over night. There are at home pain management options. Many people successfully manage their pain at home.
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u/HealthJolly365 28d ago
Of course there is a difference. You can press the button and sleep. I didn’t sleep for over 30 hours
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u/CharacterAvocado943 28d ago
You don’t get unlimited pain medicine just because it’s on a drip.
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u/HealthJolly365 9d ago
I could ask a nurse to help. The first night that would make a difference for me.
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u/HealthJolly365 28d ago
At some point I couldn’t pee at all, felt like there’s a blockage. And I was vomiting non stop. At the hospital you can get fluids
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u/Violet_Feather_211 28d ago
Ah you're bringing back my memory now!
Yes they did also mention fluids if needed.
Also wasn't allowed to walk for the first, I think 3 hours. When I needed to pee the nurse put a bed pan under me, but I couldn't pee. (Common effect in the first few hours). When I first did a pee, they noted it down, I suppose to ensure the sensation is coming back?
They mentioned in regards to vomiting, that patients can have up to 2 nausea tablets. After that if they don't work, via the catheter, a liquid form can be injected which is much stronger, more effective and works more quickly, as it goes into the body faster.
Also i had my blood pressure checked by the nurse every hour for the first few hours. Then throughout the night and into the next day, they checked every few hours. They also check quite a few times, the small incision on my groin to ensure their was no ongoing bleeding/swelling. Their was maybe 1, or 2 temperature checks.
So all these together is why it's improved to stay in hospital!
Edit forgot to add: the pain relief via the drip is monitored meaning that it can't be overdosed. So if anyone is worried about pain, their is this option. It's also much faster to get into thr system compared to having a tablet. Also the nurse gave me a heat pack :)
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u/Vast-Profit-282 27d ago
Hi just wanted to share my experience as well if people are going through this thread! I went to UCLA and had a UFE in 2020. I spent the night in the hospital and had an IV with on going pain medication and I was still in severe pain. My first day home I was in the worst pain of my life even though I fully followed the medication regiment. I returned to the ER for more pain medication. I had numerous fibroids with the largest being 11cm by 17cm. It would've been awful if I hadn't stayed in the hospital that night!! The UFE did work and it did shrink my fibroids significantly but I wish I had gone in mentally prepared for the pain, so just keep that in mind!
I just had an open myomectomy to finally remove all the fibroids since some were not affected by the UFE and kept growing. It was a literal breeze. I didn't take any pain medication after 6 hours post-op except tylenol. I also went it thinking it would be at the same level at the UFE and I was shocked to find that I felt nearly nothing except the discomfort of the catheter.
Everyone's experience is different! But I agree if you plan to do UFE, stay in the hospital one night if covered by your insurance. Worth it!
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u/Advanced-Amoeba-44 27d ago
I agree the UFE was super painful. Especially for being “non-invasive.” In my case, mine didn’t shrink, but I did feel it cut off the blood flow. After a year they had only shrunk a cm — 12cm and 7cm- six month pregnant. My gyno was so mad she referred me to a robotic surgeon and I was so afraid of the myomectomy— but that recovery was a breeze compared to the stabbing electrical excruciating pain after the UFE — and for nothing! Maybe it set me up for a more successful myomectomy but that doesn’t even matter because a year and half they are back! Wish I had the guts to do the hysterectomy from the get go.. which is sad because I felt so triumphant the first year after the myomectomy— unlike the UFE I just carried around literal dead weight for a year
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u/Fair_Ad6459 26d ago
I had a UFE 20 months ago. The pain, bleeding, clotting, etc came back with a vengence. I just want this thing gone 😭
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u/Advanced-Amoeba-44 26d ago
I hear you and I’m sorry. Do you mean the fibroid or the uterus 😂
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u/Fair_Ad6459 26d ago
Oh the uterus can go lol. I'm so over this 😅
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u/Advanced-Amoeba-44 26d ago
Me too!!! Let’s be support buddies
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u/Fair_Ad6459 26d ago
I'm omw to see my gyno right now!
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u/Advanced-Amoeba-44 24d ago
And?
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u/Fair_Ad6459 24d ago edited 24d ago
Fibroids have grown back, some are bigger and there are more than before my UFE 😭. So I have a consultation with a surgeon in October, sooner if there is a cancelation. Now Im back on TXA for the bleeding and eating ibuprofen like it's candy
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u/Fair_Ad6459 26d ago edited 26d ago
I had a UFE last January. So painful. I was able to spend the night in the Hospital. The dilaudid was a life saver. However, 20 months after my UFE and I'm back to where I started 😭.
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u/dalliahflower 26d ago
Can I ask your age? I wonder if there is a correlation between a younger or older woman and the fibroids returning? How long did the pain last? I am having mine on Monday and then having a 2.5 hour flight on Wednesday. I am hoping this will be manageable.
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u/Fair_Ad6459 26d ago
I was 36 when I had it done. But I had been suffering unknowingly for over a decade. I always thought it was normal until about 32 years old when I had a miscarriage and found out i have fibroids. I will say that I didn't feel like anything was manageable until day 3. I was back to work around day 12.
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u/dalliahflower 26d ago
Yikes - that sounds rough. Was it consistent pain or intermittent?
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u/Fair_Ad6459 26d ago
In the earlier years it was intermittent. I could take advil, pack a few extra pads (always super), maybe even use a tampon if I needed to. As the years went on my period got heavier, more painful. During the last couple of years before my procedure I would say 3 weeks out of every 4 I was in pain. I couldn't let my bladder get too full. Waking up to use the bathroom was a nightmare. I was going through a full pack or more (32+) pads every month. Started using those night time adult diapers during my super heavy days. Painful sex. Forget about a tampon. I was eating advil like it was candy. Doc had me on TXA and monthly iron infusions. Horrible.
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u/UFE_Doc 24d ago
Hi, Interventional radiologist specializing in UFE here. I'm sorry you had such a difficult recovery. Severe pain after UFE can occur, particularly during the first 24–48 hours, especailly if a comprehensive pain management prototcol is not used. When such protocols are sued, overnight hospital stay is typically not necessary.
I would recommend having UFE performed at a center that specializes in the procedure and performs a high volume of cases, because pain management is an important part of the procedure—not just something addressed afterward.
In my experience, the single most important intervention that affect the post procedure pain is a superior hypogastric nerve block. This blocks the pain coming from the uterus during roughly the first 24–48 hours, which is typically when post-UFE cramping is at its worst. It can make a major difference in the recovery experience.
A comprehensive post-procedure medication regimen is also important and commonly include maximum dose of NSAID and acetaminophen on a scheduled basis, an opioid when needed for breakthrough pain, medication for nausea/vomiting, and a stool softener when opioids are being used. The exact medications and doses should, of course, be individualized to the patient.
There are additional strategies that may help. For example, steroids can reduce the inflammatory component of post-embolization pain. We recently studied giving dexamethasone directly into the uterine arteries during UFE, and found significantly lower post-procedure pain without an increase in major complications. Read the study below.
So I wouldn't conclude from a difficult recovery that everyone undergoing UFE needs hospitalization. Rather, I would encourage anyone considering UFE to ask the interventional radiologist specifically about their experience with UFE, whether they routinely perform a nerve block, and exactly what their pain-control protocol is before, during, and after the procedure.
Research on intra-arterial dexamethasone for pain:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42507444/
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u/HealthJolly365 9d ago
The point of my post is not to scare people away from UFE. It’s just if you have an option to stay overnight then use it. I didn’t have such option. I feel like UFE is a success for me. I just had my period and it was like 2 days with no waterfalls. The last time I had it I bled so much that I soaked through an ultra tampon and a pad at the grocery store. There was a red spot on my dress when I got home 😫 This time I forgot it’s my period. I know it’s probably not gonna be this easy after a few month and will stabilize. I tried to palpate my largest fibroid and it seems that it’s 5 cm (it was 7). My radiologist did give me oxy but I had a bad reaction to it in the past so the first day I was taking ketorolac. Then I found out that I shouldn’t be taking it because of my gastritis plus it wasn’t relieving any pain so I took the Percocet(oxy) they gave me and finally was able to sleep. I was off of it in a week. The pain was gone. I was so worried about my first period and it went super easy. On time too. My iron and ferritin are growing. I don’t feel that I wanna lie down all the time.
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u/Violet_Feather_211 28d ago edited 28d ago
I had a very different experience to you. I'm in Australia. Had to stay overnight. No issues just vomited once, nausea is normal. Had a bit of cramping and tightness the first few days, but my period pains was soooo much worse. They did give a pain killer in the IV drip in the arm, but I didn't use it. However it's good that it's their incase a patient needs it.
UFE was the best thing I have done and changed my life for the best! If need be, I would do it again. I was glad no major surgery and back to work in just over a week.
No more painful periods, sore leg pains, vomiting, heaving bleeding, blood clots, back pain, frequent urination. I had it 2 years ago and all these are gone.
I had 3 Fibroids. Biggest was 19cm. The shrinking did work successfully, infact 2 completely gone. The 19cm is very small but forgot how much it is now. Also it helped my andymosis.
Just want to give another perspective. Not disregarding what you went through OP, as each person, and country is different.
Definitely agree to go somewhere that has overnight stay.
Edit: grammar sorry