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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staffUterine artery embolization is a minimally invasive treatment for uterine fibroids, noncancerous growths in the uterus. In uterine artery embolization — also referred to as uterine fibroid embolization — a doctor uses a slender, flexible tube (catheter) to inject small particles into the uterine arteries, which supply blood to your fibroids and uterus. The goal is to block tiny vessels that lead to your fibroids, starve the fibroids and cause them to die.
Interventional radiologists usually perform uterine artery embolization. This type of doctor uses imaging techniques to guide procedures that would be impossible with conventional surgery. Some specialists in obstetrics and gynecology also have training in uterine artery embolization.
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