New Collection

The public and health care experts can now call on a very large body of knowledge that can help them research the uterine fibroid treatment called uterine artery embolization. The huge electronic collection consists of articles that have been written on this topic by experts in the field and gathered in one place by The Society of Interventional Radiology.

Uterine artery embolization is a treatment option for many of the conditions that have been brought on by the presence of uterine fibroids and which can have a deleterious effect on the uterus. The virtual collection, culled from articles that have appeared in the Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology (JVIR) is unique in that the public is permitted to see abstracts relating to all ongoing research in the field. That means that it's a one-stop place for learning about UAE.

Uterine Growths

Uterine fibroids are now the most common form of non-cancerous uterine or extra-uterine growths. Until this time, the usual treatment for this condition, in cases where the fibroids were symptom-causing, was the total removal of the womb (hysterectomy). However, some experts now feel that women suffering from fibroids will benefit instead from being treated by uterine artery embolization. JVIR's editor, Albert A. Nemcek Jr., M.D., FSIR explains, "Uterine artery embolization is a treatment method for fibroids that is relatively noninvasive and has high success rates … This collection assembles relevant information about the interventional radiology treatment in one convenient place." JVIR is a once-monthly journal that has earned critical approbation as both an academic and professional resource. Nemcek feels that physicians and women alike should learn about this new treatment option.

Convenient Resource

James B. Spies, M.D., FSIR, women's health section editor at JVIR says, "The value for physicians and patients is the convenience of having all the recent articles from a major journal in one place. While it is not a comprehensive list of all recent uterine artery embolization articles, many of the major studies are included, particularly those that relate to the technical aspects of the procedure."

Spies, a professor of radiology and a chair at the Department of Radiology at Washington, D.C.'s Georgetown University Medical Center, explains that JVIR has tried to be first in reporting every new advance for this procedure. He feels that the virtual collection will be an invaluable aid for physicians just starting their training as well as for doctors who want to know more about the procedure, how it has evolved, and how it has improved over time.

The minimally invasive procedure known as uterine artery embolization offers reduced risks, faster recovery time, and reduced pain when compared with classical hysterectomy surgery. The technique is performed by radiologists who use imaging techniques to deliver treatment right to the fibroid. The effect of the treatment is to stop the flow of blood to the fibroid, which causes the benign tumor to shrink. 

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