The Role of Interventional Radiology in Women’s Health: From Fibroids to Varicose Veins

The Role of Interventional Radiology in Women’s Health: From Fibroids to Varicose Veins

Apollo Hospitals, Karnataka, has a team of the best Interventional Radiologists on board who employ advanced imaging guidance to deliver minimally invasive, targeted treatments. Interventional Radiology procedures help treat various complex medical problems, especially women’s health conditions ranging from fibroids to varicose veins.

Women experience unique health issues that can hamper their everyday activities and deteriorate their quality of life. Even milestone events in a woman’s life, such as pregnancy or menopause, may be afflicted by complications that require expert intervention. Advanced imaging-guided medical procedures under the purview of Interventional Radiology can help treat a myriad of women’s health conditions, including uterine fibroids, infertility, chronic pelvic pain and varicose veins.

How can Interventional Radiology Transform Women’s Healthcare?

Interventional radiology techniques are a safe and minimally invasive range of procedures that can be a non-surgical alternative for treating women’s health concerns. Our interventional radiologists at Apollo Hospitals, Karnataka, are well adept at diagnosing and treating women’s health problems of all ages. Our interventional radiologists employ advanced imaging and minimally invasive procedures that ensure significantly reduced pain along with faster recovery than conventional surgical techniques.

Being minimally invasive, these procedures require a small incision, which is the size of a pinhole. Thus, the risk of complications can be lowered, and symptoms of many common health concerns can be alleviated, such as excessive bleeding and pain caused by a range of medical conditions, including fibroids, adenomyosis, & pelvic congestion. Interventional radiology procedures are a safer and more effective alternative to traditional open surgeries.

The common health concerns among women which can be successfully treated using interventional radiology include the following:

• Adenomyosis: Adenomyosis is a non-cancerous condition in the uterus that may lead to excessive bleeding and pelvic pain. Although uncommon, it may develop when the tissues lining the uterus start growing into the muscular wall of the uterus.
• Pelvic congestion syndrome:Pelvic pain is a common occurrence in a woman’s life, but sometimes it may turn chronic. Almost one-third of all women experience chronic pelvic pain, sometimes which may stem from varicose veins that are hard to detect. Such chronic pelvic pain condition is known as pelvic pain syndrome. There may be additional symptoms, like blood buildup, which may result in pain after sex (postcoital), and varicose veins in the inner thigh, labia or buttocks.
• Uterine fibroid:Uterine fibroids are non-cancerous growths in the uterus that may also result in prolonged and excessive menstrual bleeding accompanied by pelvic pain and uncomfortable pressure on the bladder.

In most cases, patients undergoing treatment via interventional radiology techniques are discharged within 24 hours, allowing them to return to their regular activities with minimal downtime.

Interventional Radiology Treatments for Women’s Health

The Department of Interventional Radiology at Apollo Hospitals, Karnataka, is nationally recognised as a trendsetter in the diagnosis and treatment of women’s health conditions with state-of-the-art facilities and minimally invasive surgical equipment. Our Interventional Radiologists have helped pave the way for improved outcomes for various interventional radiology techniques for women’s healthcare treatments.

Learn more about the interventional radiology procedures we offer below.

• Uterine Artery Embolization (UAE) for Uterine Fibroids
  Women with uterine fibroids often experience debilitating abdominal pain and excessive menstrual bleeding along with bloating and constipation. While traditional methods for treating uterine fibroids require removing the uterus, our interventional radiologists are able to alleviate symptoms of pain by using the uterine artery embolisation technique.

It is an image-guided endovascular procedure in which surgeons use a small tube, or catheter, to enter an artery through the wrist or the groyne and reach the uterine arteries. The catheter delivers embolisation materials that block the blood supply to the fibroids, and subsequently, patients may experience a reduction in the severity of the symptoms over the next few days.


• Adenomyosis Embolisation
  Adenomyosis, similar to uterine fibroids, can be treated with advanced, minimally invasive interventional radiology techniques.
• Ovarian Vein Embolisation for Pelvic Congestion Syndrome
  Pelvic Congestion Syndrome (PCS) is a result of congested or clogged veins, often deep-seated varicose veins. Our interventional radiologists have extensive training in diagnosing and treating PCS using image-guided endovascular interventional radiology procedures.

Similar to the UAE procedure, a surgeon inserts a catheter through a vein in the neck or groyne to evaluate the pelvic veins. Subsequently, embolization materials may be delivered depending on the individual demands of the treatment, and/or placement of stents to stop blood flow to the abnormal veins, enabling effective pain relief.


Interventional Radiology Procedures at Apollo Hospitals, Karnataka

As the pioneers of world-class healthcare providers in India, Apollo Hospitals, Karnataka, has been instrumental in advancing minimally invasive treatments with our continual research efforts. With a vast experience in diagnosing and treating diseases and conditions pertaining to women’s health, our highly qualified Interventional Radiologists are dedicated to providing advanced care available today.