Guerbet Solutions for Women's Health

Uterine fibroids also called leiomyomas or myomas, are noncancerous growths that develop from muscle tissue of the uterus.¹ They often appear during childbearing years but can occur at any age.¹ About 20 percent to 80 percent of women develop fibroids by the time they reach age 50.² Uterine fibroids can cause severe symptoms in some women, including heavy menstrual bleeding, anemia, abdominal or lower back pain, enlarged uterus or abdomen, and infertility.¹

In addition to medical therapy and surgery, uterine artery embolization (UAE) also called uterine fibroid embolization (UFE) is another option for treatment that can, in most cases be performed as an outpatient procedure.¹ Embolization is a minimally invasive procedure where embolic agents can be delivered to target areas using a microcatheter.

Why it is done

Uterine artery embolization, an alternative to surgery, is a procedure performed to shrink fibroid tissue and help relieve symptoms.^3,4

The procedure includes:⁶

• Vessel access – First, a needle is inserted into the vessel (e.g. femoral). Next, a catheter is navigated through the vasculature until it lands near to the desired target area.
• Blood vessel mapping, navigation and embolization – Visualization of the target vessel and its branches is done by injecting contrast fluid and viewing under fluoroscopy. After mapping the area, a microcatheter navigates into the target area and embolic material is injected into the vessel. The aim is to block flow to the desired area.

It is essential to select tools for the procedure that meets the needs of the physician, including microcatheters with optimized pushability, flexibility, torquability, and trackability. There may also be benefit in selecting tools that control reflux during the delivery of embolic agents to reduce the risk of non-target embolization.

Click here to learn more about Guerbet's peripheral microcatheter tools used in Uterine Artery Procedures:

In women, pelvic congestion syndrome (PCS) is a condition that causes pain in the pelvic area for more than 6 months’ duration.⁴ PCS occurs secondary to pelvic venous insufficiency (PVI) and associated pelvic venous distension.⁴ In the United States, there’s nearly a 15% prevalence of chronic pelvic pain in women 18 to 50 years of age.⁵ Despite increasing awareness, pelvic congestion syndrome remains an underdiagnosed condition.⁴

In addition to medical therapy and surgery, ovarian vein embolization is another option for treatment. Embolization is a minimally invasive procedure where embolic agents can be delivered to target areas using a microcatheter.

Why it is done?
Embolization procedure is an alternative treatment option that may help relieve symptoms from PCS.⁴

The procedure includes:⁶

• Vessel access – First, a needle is inserted into the vessel (e.g. femoral). Next, a catheter is navigated through the vasculature until it lands near to the desired target area.
• Blood vessel mapping, navigation and embolization – Visualization of the target vessel and its branches is done by injecting contrast fluid and viewing under fluoroscopy. After mapping the area, a microcatheter navigates into the target area and embolic material is injected into the vessel. The aim is to block flow to the desired area.

It is essential to select tools for the procedure that meets the needs of the physician, including microcatheters with optimized pushability, flexibility, torquability, and trackability. There may also be benefit in selecting tools that control reflux during the delivery of embolic agents to reduce the risk of non-target embolization.

Click here to learn more about Guerbet's peripheral microcatheter tools used in Women's Embolization Procedures:

Hysterosalpingogram or HSG is an x-ray procedure used to see whether the fallopian tubes are patent and if the inside of the uterus is normal. HSG is an outpatient procedure.
Explore our solutions

References

^1. Uterine Fibroids - Frequently Asked Questions: Gynecologic Problems. (2020). ACOG. Retrieved May 21, 2020, from https://www.acog.org/patient-resources/faqs/gynecologic-problems/uterine-fibroids
^2. Uterine fibroids. (April 1, 2019). Office on Women’s Health. Retrieved May 21, 2020, from https://www.womenshealth.gov/a-z-topics/uterine-fibroids
^3. Other Treatments for Fibroids. (November 2, 2018). National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Retrieved May 21, 2020, from https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/uterine/conditioninfo/treatments/other-treatments
^4. Durham, J. D., & Machan, L. (2013, December). Pelvic congestion syndrome. In Seminars in interventional radiology (Vol. 30, No. 04, pp. 372-380). Thieme Medical Publishers. 
^5. Mathias, Susan D., et al. "Chronic pelvic pain: prevalence, health-related quality of life, and economic correlates." Obstetrics & Gynecology 87.3 (1996): 321-327.
^6. Endovascular Embolization. (June 2, 2020). Medline Plus. Retrieved June 26, 2020 from https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/007277.htm

This information is not medical advice and is for informational purposes only. It does not replace a discussion with a healthcare professional nor provide clinical guidance.  

GU05201138