Funding Your Treatment

NHS or Private Health Insurance

Patients who are taking drugs such as Zoladex or Synarel will need to stop these for at least 6 weeks before the embolisation procedure. We require a clear cervical smear test to have been carried out within 18 months prior to fibroid embolisation. We accept both insured and self funding patients: Fibroid embolisation is covered by most insurance companies (OPCS code: XR360).

For patients insured with BUPA, Dr Walker's BUPA provider number is 01460483. Please confirm with your insurance provider that they will cover your consultation, ultrasound and MRI scans together with blood tests which are required prior to the procedure. Please also confirm with your insurance provider that they will cover your follow up consultations and scans (minimum of 2) after the procedure.

For more information regarding self funding prices at the London Clinic, Nuffield Health Guildford Hospital or any other private clinic Dr Walker works at, please contact Dr Walker's Executive Assistant on 07795 643019 or via email: wjwalker@uk-consultants.co.uk

Patient Suitability

Despite the vast amount of data on UFE many patients are told they are unsuitable for the procedure because:

They have multiple fibroids
They have only one
Their fibroids are too big
Their fibroid is pedunculated or extending outside of the womb on a stalk

All these statements are wrong. Most women with problematic fibroids are suitable despite number, size or position.

References

Watson GM, Walker WJ. Uterine artery embolisation for the treatment of symptomatic fibroids in 114 women; reduction in size of the fibroids and women’s views of the success of the treatment. BJOG 2002 Feb; 109(2):129-35
Smeets AJ, Nijenhuis RJ van Rooij WJ, Weimar EA, Boekkooi PF, Lampmann EL, Vervest HA, Lohl PN. Uterine artery embolisation in patients with a large fibroid burden: long term clinical and MR follow-up. Cardiovasc Intervent Radiol. 2010 Oct;33(5);943-8. Epub 2010 Jan 12
Parthipun AA, Taylor J, Manyonda I, Belli AM. Does size really matter? Analysis of the effect of large fibroids and uterine volumes on complication rates of uterine artery embolisation. Cardiovasc Intervent Radiol. 2010 Oct;33(5):955-9. Epub 2010 May 5

Which Radiologists should Perform Uterine Fibroid Embolisation?

The Delayed Treatment of Uterine Fibroids

We see many patients who have had failed myomectomy followed by recurrence or continual growth of remaining fibroids, who are either advised conservative treatment by their doctor or who do not wish to face the prospect of further treatment, especially surgery. Patients need to realise that fibroids often continue to grow. The bigger they become the more difficult they are to treat and the more a patient's quality of life is impaired. It is especially important that If fibroids grow following myomectomy, prompt treatment should be strongly considered before the fibroids become too large and therefore very difficult to treat except by radical surgery.

A Myth about Fibroids

Many women in their forties with fibroids causing significant often debilitating symptoms will delay treatment having been told that fibroids shrink after the menopause. This is inaccurate and misleading. After the menopause, assuming that the patient does not have hormone replacement therapy, oestrogen stimulation is removed. Thus fibroids can no longer grow. Occasionally some fibroids die owing to defective blood supply but this is not common and in most cases fibroid masses will remain relatively unchanged after the menopause. Patients with fibroid masses should therefore be wary of delaying treatment in the hope that fibroid masses may shrink after the menopause. HRT in the post menopausal woman can cause fibroids to grow or bleed. Post embolisation fibroids are killed and therefore cannot grow or be affected by oestrogen and patients can have HRT after the menopause.