Uterine fibroids are very common in women. From 20 to 40 percent of women age 35 and older have uterine fibroids of significant size. African-American women are at higher risk for fibroids: as many as 50 percent have fibroids of a significant size. Estimates are that between 177,000 and 366,000 hysterectomies and approximately 35,000 myomectomies are performed each year as a surgical solution for this problem. In addition, many women receive medical treatment for fibroids and many others suffer symptoms but never undergo treatment. Hence, UAE has the potential to provide hundreds of thousands of women a dramatic non-surgical, uterus-sparing alternative for the treatment of uterine fibroids each year.

The purpose of the FIBROID Registry is to assess the procedure's durability, impact on fertility and quality-of-life, and to obtain data which will allow researchers to compare UAE to other fibroid therapies. In addition, it will facilitate long-term surveillance of patients undergoing the procedure. Moreover, it will provide physicians and their patients with additional information to allow them to make an informed decision about their treatment for fibroids.

If you would like to locate an interventional radiologist (IR) who is currently performing UAE, please go to the Find an IR Near You database. On this site, IRs who are performing UAE and are part of the registry are indicated.

If you need more information about uterine fibroids and treatment options, please check our Uterine Fibroid Embolization website.

Patients at the core sites will be asked for permission to be contacted at a later date. If a patient grants this permission, the treating IR will ask the patient to complete the quality-of-life (QOL) questionnaire. The questionnaire asks about symptoms experienced by women who have uterine fibroids as well as women’s feelings and experiences regarding the impact of uterine fibroid symptoms on their life. Randomly selected patients will be contacted by mail (and then by phone if mail contact is unsuccessful) at 6, 12 and 24 months after their procedure to find out about these symptoms and experiences as they relate to fibroids since the procedure. Patients will also be asked about the status of their health since the UAE procedure. By completing the confidential questionnaires, patients will be able to directly contribute to research and better help us understand this important treatment option for fibroids.

Please note that the registry is a prospective study; if you have previously had UAE for fibroids, you will not be able to contribute data to the registry.

Scientific research is costly and time-consuming. In order to collect accurate and relevant data, studies such as the registry take years to produce results. While the study duration cannot be condensed, financial contribution to the registry is welcome and greatly appreciated. If you are interested in donating funds to the registry, please contact the CIRREF office at (800) 488-7284.