What to Expect after UFE: A First-Hand Account

We love the White Dress Project because of its mission to spread fibroid awareness and help fibroid sufferers with heavy periods wear white dresses confidently all month long. And, recently, we found some content on their Instagram account from influencer Miss Cara Maria discussing her post-UFE experience.

Now, fibroid awareness is critical because many women aren't aware that there are a range of treatment options. And, one of them--Uterine Fibroid Embolization (UFE), available at our Georgia Fibroid Center--allows you to avoid surgery. As such, when women first learn about this procedure, they want to know what to expect after UFE treatment, So, today, we’re sharing some of Cara's story, to help you gain a better understanding of the UFE treatment and recovery process.

A First Account of What to Expect After UFE

In her video clip, Cara reveals that she had UFE treatment 1.5 months prior to posting because she was dealing with painful symptoms resulting from a 16 cm fibroid. Initially, doctors said she'd need myomectomy surgery. But, before operating, they wanted to have her spend six months taking menopause-inducing hormones to halt tumor growth. But Cara wanted to avoid surgery, and was thrilled to discover she could do so by undergoing fibroid embolization.

As Cara so aptly told her viewers, UFE causes fibroids to shrink over a period of several months by interfering with blood flow to just the arteries that feed the tumor. But, while the results keep going over time, the procedure itself is “in and out, with no long recovery period,” said Cara. Best of all, she said, she started to notice symptom improvement very soon after her procedure was complete.

Brief Discomfort, Fast Recovery: What to Expect the First Week After UFE

Cara had her UFE procedure on a Monday, and the first days were “brutal,” she said, although she admittedly decided not to take her prescribed pain killers. regardless, she felt much better by the time Friday rolled around. And, at the one-week market after her procedure, Cara returned to exercise; she just had to dial down the intensity of her former two-a-days, noting she “took it easy” at first.

And now, filming herself 1.5 months after her procedure, Cara says, “I’m doing amazing. I feel great,” with sensations of bloating and fullness slowly ebbing away. Now, Cara still experiences some. But, while she wears a tampon daily to catch the flow, it is still less than that of a normal period, and its cause is a good one, resulting from a ‘dying off’ fibroid, as Cara explained. (Note: post-UFE bleeding is normal and expected for the first 3 months after your procedure.) 

Now, how much tumor shrinkage resulted from that 'dying off' process? While Cara said she couldn't see a major difference in her physical appearance due to fibroid shrinking, her symptoms were already much improved just 1.5 months after her procedure. And, since patient improvement is always the goal of our UFE services in Georgia, this would already be considered a win, even though Cara will still have a follow up scan at the 6 month post-procedural mark, to measure the full impact of treatment.

Ready to see if you can shrink your fibroids without surgery, just like Cara did? Our Georgia fibroid specialists are ready to review your UFE candidacy. Click here to request a consultation.