A high-tech procedure now being performed at Moses Taylor Hospital
offers a new method of helping women with fibroid tumors.
Offered exclusively in Lackawanna County by Dr. Douglas Cutillo
of Radiological consultants Inc., the technique is called Uterine
Fibroid Embolization. With a hospital stay averaging only 24 hours
and a return to work in about a week, the procedure offers women
an alternative treatment.
"On a national scale, the procedure has achieved a 95% improvement in the symptoms patients exhibited before embolization, with no reported incidents of reoccurrence," said Dr. Cutillo. "This is an exciting new advancement in medicine, and women in the area need to be aware that the procedure is now available here at Moses Taylor Hospital."
With excessive bleeding, pelvic pain and
prolonged menstrual cycles, fibroid tumors are among the most
frustrating of women's health problems. Benign in nature, the
tumors are caused by an overgrowth of the muscle fiber within
the uterus. They can also have an impact upon a woman's ability
to conceive.
The concept behind uterine fibroid embolization is basic. Using a sterile material that resembles sand particles, Dr. Cutillo plugs the arteries to the tumors. This deprives the blood supply from reaching the growths and literally starves them out of existence.
However, the actual technique is anything but simple. the particles must be delivered to the precise artery that serves the tumor, and no other blood vessels providing a blood supply to other abdominal areas must be involved.
To accomplish this, Dr. Cutillo uses a thin flexible catheter to deliver the particles. He observes the intricate procedure through a remote viewing system and is able to target the exact artery needed with an x-ray map of the patient's blood vessels.
"The technology we use during embolization is extremely important, and Moses Taylor has provided us with state-of-the-art angiographic equipment needed to accomplish this," said Dr. Cutillo. "It's also important to realize that this procedure should only be performed by an experienced specialist who has been trained in the specific techniques."
Dr. Cutillo noted that within a week of the procedure, patients may experience some shrinkage of their fibroid tumors. The sand-like particles become a permanent part of the patient's arterial system, and in most cases, the fibroids do not reoccur.
Uterine fibroids cause many long-lasting problems in women, such as infertility. the embolization procedure may actually help younger women who wish to conceive.
"Cases have been documented where women have actually delivered children after uterine fibroid embolization. As a physician, this is heartwarming," added Dr. Cutillo. "Another advantage is that this procedure closes no doors for the patient, because the traditional treatment options are still available at a later date."
Dr. Cutillo encourages women who suffer from uterine fibroid tumors to ask their primary care physician or OB/GYN about uterine fibroid embolization. For more information, call the Moses Taylor Radiology Department at 340-2602.