Year: 2022

July is Fibroid Awareness Month, a time we recognize a health issue affecting as many as 80 percent of women before they reach the age of 50.¹ Fibroids, or muscular tumors that develop in the wall of the uterus, are more common among African Americans than white, Hispanic, or Asian women.¹ Generally noncancerous, they can range in size from a small apple seed to a large grapefruit.²

Although some women with fibroids have no symptoms, others may experience abdominal pain, frequent urination, enlargement of the lower abdomen, and heavy menstrual bleeding.² Despite its prevalence and severe symptoms, the condition is seldom discussed. To change that, we talked with Carmen McKeever, who was first diagnosed with uterine fibroids during an appointment with her gynecologist.

At first, Carmen didn’t think anything of her fibroids, but a few years later, she developed serious symptoms, including heavy, long, painful periods—including a devastating cycle that caused her to bleed for an entire month straight.

“Fibroids really impacted my everyday life.” Carmen explained. “Professionally, I am a nurse. At my facility, our uniform is white scrubs. So you can imagine, every month it was like a nightmare.”

During her period, Carmen had to equip herself with an “arsenal” to make it through the day and avoid accidents. On any given day, she admitted to needing a super absorbency tampon, two ultra-absorbency maxi-pads, a Depend® adult diaper, and Spanx® to hold it all together.

All of this wasn’t enough, as Carmen explained. “I also had all that stuff in my bag just in case I had to change, which was about every hour.”

Unable to tolerate going through life like this any longer, Carmen explored fibroid treatments. But like other women seeking an alternative to a complete hysterectomy, Carmen faced resistance when meeting with doctors.

“The help I received from medical professionals was—operate. Hysterectomy. That was it. I just felt like I was being dismissed,” she recalled with emotion. “I oftentimes felt like it was my fault that I had fibroids. That I was wasting people’s time because I was trying to figure out what I was going to do, and not have a hysterectomy, and that was the only answer I was getting.”

After searching and getting nowhere, Carmen finally learned about uterine fibroid embolization (UFE) from an acquaintance who also suffered from fibroids. After attending a free UFE hospital seminar presented by Dr. John Lipman, a vascular and interventional radiologist and fibroid specialist at Atlanta Interventional Institute, she was intrigued.

During the UFE procedure, a catheter is carefully inserted into an artery in the wrist or groin area and guided to the uterine arteries that supply fibroids with blood. Tiny particles are injected to cut off blood flow to the fibroids, causing them to shrink. The treatment is generally performed as an outpatient procedure and completed within about one hour.

Upon meeting with Dr. Lipman and learning of UFE, Carmen felt at ease. “He made sure that I had all the information and that I was well-informed, so I could make a logical decision.”

Carmen decided to get UFE and felt it was the best decision. “My pain [during recovery] was nothing compared to the menstrual cramps that I experienced every month,” she described. After resting for four days, she returned to work just one week after the procedure.

Carmen’s persistence paid off, and she avoided an unnecessary hysterectomy. “I’m hoping that I can use this platform to let other women know about UFE,” she emphasized. “Women who are afraid to wear white pants and who feel a gush of blood flowing every time they get up from their seat. Who pray they have not messed up their seat at work or messed up the back of their pants or their nice skirt when they go out to dinner or they go to church. I hope that by doing this, I let other women know—just like I found out—that there is an alternative.”

Hear from more patients who have overcome fibroids with UFE and now live full, healthy lives.

The above information should not be construed as providing specific medical advice but rather to offer readers information to better understand their lives and health. It is not intended to provide an alternative to professional treatment or to replace the services of a physician.

REFERENCES

1. U.S. Food & Drug Administration. “Knowledge and News on Women: Fibroid Awareness Month”. July 1, 2021. https://www.fda.gov/consumers/knowledge-and-news-women-owh-blog/knowledge-news-women-fibroid-awareness-month
2. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Office of Women’s Health. “Uterine Fibroids”. February 19, 2021. https://www.womenshealth.gov/a-z-topics/uterine-fibroids

June is Men’s Health Month, a time we use at Merit to raise awareness about conditions that affect men, encouraging individuals to take control of their health and live their best lives. We do this by providing the products and education needed to help physicians and patients learn more about life-changing procedures. One such procedure called prostatic artery embolization (PAE) is a minimally invasive approach to treating bothersome urinary symptoms caused by an enlarged prostate, also known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

We sat down with Larry Sago, a patient who underwent PAE, to hear his story and better understand how life changing the procedure can be.

“The difference is like night and day,” Larry said, describing his life before and after prostatic artery embolization (PAE).

Larry’s journey began when he was diagnosed with BPH. A common condition, about half of all men in their 50s develop BPH—a statistic that increases with age.¹ Although non-cancerous, BPH can cause a host of bothersome urinary symptoms, including feelings of urinary urgency, weak or interrupted urine stream, and urinary frequency.

For months prior to undergoing PAE, BPH began to take a major toll on Larry’s life. He started experiencing urine retention and found at times he couldn’t go at all. In pain, Larry resorted to driving himself to the ER to get a Foley catheter inserted to temporarily relieve the pressure.

For many men like Larry who suffer from BPH, the first line of treatment is commonly prescription medications to treat the symptoms, but these are occasionally ineffective and often have less-than-desirable side effects. After trying medications, Larry found his symptoms couldn’t be controlled any longer and continued to worsen. “My urologist told me TURP [transurethral resection of the prostate] was about the only answer.”

TURP is a surgical procedure that cuts away the prostate tissue that blocks the flow of urine. While very effective in improving urination, it can be associated with complications like bleeding, urinary leakage, and sexual side effects. The bleeding risks become more concerning the larger the prostate becomes.

Not wanting to have surgery or to risk having the complications associated with TURP, Larry researched non-surgical treatment options online but wasn’t finding much. As luck would have it, Larry one day found an article by University of North Carolina (UNC) Clinical Assistant Professor of Radiology Dr. Ari Isaacson discussing minimally invasive PAE at the UNC Health Care System’s Center for Heart and Vascular Care.

“I emailed Dr. Isaacson as soon as I read about [PAE],” Larry recalled. “Amazingly, within half an hour he’d written me back asking for my phone number to further talk about the procedure. He called me and communicated all aspects of [PAE] very clearly.” Liking what he heard, Larry drove from Atlanta to Chapel Hill to meet with Dr. Isaacson. Once a biopsy cleared him of prostate cancer, Larry was able to undergo the procedure as part of a clinical trial.

“PAE results in shrinking and softening of the prostate which allows for urine to flow through easier, ultimately reducing urinary symptoms,” Dr. Isaacson explained. “Some of the advantages of PAE are that it is performed as an outpatient procedure, and the recovery time is quick. In most cases, no Foley catheter is required. PAE also has very little chance of affecting sexual function. In some cases, sexual function is even improved after patients are able to stop taking BPH medications.”

Post-PAE, Larry describes the procedure as easy with no pain or bleeding. Afterward, he was able to go back to his hotel room in Chapel Hill, spend the night, and drive home to Atlanta the next day. “For about a week, my former BPH symptoms returned, but they were briefer and milder this time. Once they went away, I felt like I was 20 years old again!”

PAE not only resulted in clinical improvements, it also gave Larry something priceless—his life back.

“I literally don’t think about the symptoms I used to struggle with,” Larry said. “I can go play golf without having to worry about going to the bathroom in the middle of the golf course!”

“I’m so pleased for Larry,” Dr. Isaacson noted. “His case demonstrates how effective this procedure can be. Many PAE patients can enjoy improved urination for years following the procedure.”

Feeling truly fortunate to have been a candidate for PAE, Larry said the only thing he would’ve done differently was have the procedure sooner. “If this treatment had been available, I would’ve done it years earlier. I simply hope there’s more awareness so that others can experience the boost in quality of life and long-term health that I did.”

Explore other patient testimonials and learn more about PAE.

At Merit, our mission is to improve the lives of people, families, and communities around the globe. If Larry’s story resonated with you, and you’re experiencing bothersome symptoms from BPH, talk to your doctor today to see if PAE might be an option for you.

The above information should not be construed as providing specific medical advice but rather to offer readers information to better understand their lives and health. It is not intended to provide an alternative to professional treatment or to replace the services of a physician.

REFERENCES

1. Urology Care Foundation. (n.d.). What Is Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)? Retrieved from http://www.urologyhealth.org/urologic-conditions/benign-prostatic-hyperplasia-(bph)/