Pre-Procedure Instructions
- In order to provide you with sedation during the procedure, you must have nothing to eat or drink for 8 hours prior to the procedure. This typically means nothing to eat or drink after midnight the night before the procedure. You can have clear liquids up to 2 hours before the procedure.
- You can take any prescribed medications with small sips of water the morning of the procedure.
- If you are taking blood thinners, please let our physicians or nurse practitioners know so we can provide you with instructions as to when to stop that medication prior to the procedure.
Post-Procedure Instructions
- Following the UFE procedure, it is typical for our patients to experience pelvic pain or cramping, nausea and/or vomiting, low-grade fever, lethargy, and decreased appetite. These symptoms usually last for 5-10 days and may be more severe in some people than in others. We have prescribed several medications in order to address these symptoms (click here for more information about the medications used after UFE). A heating pad can help decrease some of the cramping as well. These symptoms are typically most severe during the first 4-5 days after the procedure and then steadily improve. Some patients feel better 1-2 days after the procedure and then experience additional discomfort. For this reason, please follow the medication schedule closely for the first 3-4 days.
- Some women experience light spotting or a discharge after the procedure, which can last up to 1 month. Please let us know at the time of your follow-up appointment if you still have a discharge after the procedure.
- You may remove the Band-Aid from the groin and shower after 24 hours.
- We recommend that you rest for the first 48 hours after the procedure. After that, your activity is not restricted. However, the pain and cramping that you will experience during the first 5 days, in addition to the side effects of the medications prescribed to treat your discomfort, will likely be enough to reduce your activity. After the first 2-3 days, the way that you feel is the best indicator of what you should and should not do, including exercise. You should not drive if you are taking prescription pain medication.
- Call our office (518-262-5149) during business hours or call the page operator at Albany Medical Center (518-262-3125) and ask to speak with the Interventional Radiologist on call if you experience any of the following:
- Fever greater than 102.5 or fever associated with sweating and chills
- Abnormal, foul-smelling vaginal discharge
- Heavy, bright red vaginal bleeding, different from your normal menstrual flow
- Pain or burning with urination
- Pelvic pain, unrelieved by pain medication and/or pain for more than 2 weeks
- Bruising in the groin that expands over time
- Passage of fibroid tissue through the vagina
- Significant constipation
- Follow-up appointments are typically scheduled for 3-4 weeks and 6 months after UFE. You should leave the hospital with an appointment card for your first follow-up appointment. If for some reason you do not receive an appointment card, please call our office at 518-262-5149 to schedule the first appointment at your convenience.