Can Uterine Fibroids Be Treated Without Surgery?

Yes — Uterine Fibroid Embolization (UFE) is a proven, non-surgical alternative to hysterectomy. It shrinks fibroids by cutting off their blood supply through a tiny catheter, preserving the uterus completely. Over 200 women have been treated with UFE by Dr. Rohit Agarwal at Medanta Lucknow, with 90% reporting significant symptom improvement.

Why Surgery Was the Only Option Before

For most of modern medical history, women diagnosed with symptomatic fibroids were offered two surgical options:

• Hysterectomy — complete removal of the uterus. This eliminates fibroids permanently but also ends menstruation and the ability to conceive. It requires general anaesthesia, a large abdominal incision (or laparoscopic ports), 2–5 days of hospitalisation, and 4–8 weeks of recovery.
• Myomectomy — surgical removal of individual fibroids while preserving the uterus. This is a complex operation, especially when multiple fibroids are present. Recovery is similar to hysterectomy, and fibroids recur in 15–30% of cases because the underlying cause (hormone-driven growth) is not addressed.

Both options require cutting through the abdominal wall and the uterus itself. Many women — particularly those who wanted to preserve their uterus or avoid major surgery — had no good alternative. UFE changed that.

How UFE Works

Uterine Fibroid Embolization is performed by an interventional radiologist through a tiny puncture — no incision is needed:

1. Access: Dr. Rohit Agarwal inserts a thin catheter (tube) through a needle puncture in the wrist (radial artery) or groin (femoral artery). The wrist approach allows you to walk immediately after the procedure.
2. Navigation: Using real-time X-ray guidance (fluoroscopy), the catheter is guided through the arterial system to the uterine arteries — the blood vessels that feed the fibroids.
3. Embolization: Tiny microspheres (particles smaller than grains of sand) are injected through the catheter into the uterine arteries. These microspheres block the blood vessels supplying the fibroids.
4. Fibroid shrinkage: Deprived of their blood supply, the fibroids begin to shrink. Over 3–6 months, fibroids typically reduce by 40–60% in size. The healthy uterine tissue, which has a dual blood supply, recovers fully.

The entire procedure takes 45–90 minutes. Most patients are discharged within 24 hours.

UFE vs Hysterectomy

Here is how UFE compares to the traditional surgical approach:

Factor	Hysterectomy	UFE
Uterus preserved?	No — permanently removed	Yes — fully preserved
Anaesthesia	General or spinal	Local anaesthesia + sedation
Incision	Abdominal or laparoscopic ports	Tiny needle puncture (2 mm)
Treats multiple fibroids?	Depends on complexity	Yes — all fibroids treated in one session
Hospital stay	2–5 days	1 day (24 hours)
Recovery time	4–8 weeks	1–2 weeks
Symptom improvement	100% (uterus removed)	85–90%
Menstruation	Stops permanently	Continues (typically lighter)
Risk of surgical complications	Higher (blood loss, infection, adhesions)	Minimal

Who Is UFE Best For?

UFE is an excellent option for women who:

• Want to preserve their uterus — whether for future fertility, personal preference, or cultural reasons
• Have multiple fibroids — UFE treats all fibroids simultaneously, whereas myomectomy becomes increasingly difficult with more fibroids
• Want to avoid major surgery — women with medical conditions that increase surgical risk (diabetes, obesity, heart disease) benefit from the minimally invasive approach
• Need a shorter recovery — working women, mothers, and caregivers who cannot afford 4–8 weeks of recovery
• Have large fibroids — even fibroids larger than 10 cm can be treated effectively with UFE

To find out if UFE is right for your specific situation, visit our detailed condition page: uterine fibroid treatment without hysterectomy in Lucknow.

Real Results

Dr. Rohit Agarwal has performed over 200 UFE procedures at Medanta Hospital, Lucknow. Here are the outcomes:

• 90% symptom improvement — heavy bleeding, pelvic pressure, urinary frequency, and pain are significantly reduced or eliminated
• 70% average size reduction — fibroids shrink substantially within 3–6 months, with continued improvement up to 12 months
• High patient satisfaction — the vast majority of women report they would choose UFE again and recommend it to others
• Low complication rate — serious complications occur in less than 2% of cases
• No uterus removal required — every single patient treated with UFE has preserved her uterus

Take the first step

If you have been diagnosed with uterine fibroids and want to explore non-surgical treatment, send your ultrasound or MRI reports to Dr. Rohit Agarwal via WhatsApp: +91 860-445-3663. You will receive a personalised assessment and can request to see before-and-after videos of actual patients.