Help Available in Palm Beach County For Painful Disorder

Editor's Note: The following article was authored by Bloom PR and edited by Patch.

BOYNTON BEACH, FL — Mavornees Berry-Smith, of Boca Raton said her medical condition had been unbearable. She suffered from uterine fibroids, a condition that affects many women. Berry-Smith found help through a Palm Beach County specialist.

“For years, I fought through excessive bleeding and severe cramps, thinking it was normal. I was absolutely ecstatic when my gynecologist explained to me that there was a reason and recommended that I be examined by a specialist in Boynton Beach,” she said.

Double-board certified Dr. William H. Julien successfully treated Berry-Smith with Uterine Fibroid Embolization or UFE at South Florida Vascular Associates.

“Many women are unaware of this medical condition and are needlessly suffering from fibroids,” he said. “And many people are unaware that a highly effective, non-surgical treatment is available."

Symptoms of uterine fibroids may include an extended duration of heavy menstrual bleeding, often-agonizing pain, fatigue, and more. The procedure has been shown to relieve fibroid symptoms in 90 percent of women treated. The procedure is an alternative to a hysterectomy or myomectomy. Patients who undergo the procedure can avoid a hospital stay.

Uterine fibroids are benign, non-cancerous growths that are found in, or on the walls, of the uterus.

They can range from less than an inch to more than six inches in diameter. Most fibroids cause no symptoms and are discovered only when a woman has a routine pelvic examination. However, only about a third of fibroids are large enough to be detective even with an examination.

“For most women, Uterine Fibroid Embolization is life-changing,” said Dr. Julien, who is also president of the Outpatient Endovascular and Interventional Society, a national organization.

“I didn’t know what was happening to my body,” recalled 41-year-old Latoria Sheppard of Pompano Beach. “I was always bleeding a lot during intimacy. I knew something was wrong. I went to my gynecologist, who referred me to Dr. Julien. He explained everything I needed to know about uterine fibroids and how to treat them. I couldn’t be happier with the results and best of all I was able to save my uterus.”

According to Julien, all women are at risk of developing fibroids. The growths typically form between ages 30 and 40, though they may develop in women who are in their twenties.

By age 50, between 70 percent and 80 percent of all women will have had fibroids. Those with a family history and African-American women have the highest risk of developing them. African-American women have the highest risk of any racial group.

“It’s so important that we spread the word about fibroids. People need to know this terrible disorder exists and that this outstanding treatment is available,” says Berry-Smith, the Boca Raton patient.

Here's how the procedure works:

"We start by making a tiny nick in the groin area, then insert a catheter into the femoral artery," according to Julien. "Using x-ray imaging, the catheter is guided into the arteries that supply blood to the uterus. We then inject tiny particles — the size of grains of sand —into the uterine arteries to block blood flow to the fibroid. By blocking the blood flow, we’re able to shrink or destroy the fibroids.”

Following the procedure, many women can resume light activities in a few days, and the majority of women are able to return to their normal activities within 10 days.

Fibroid symptoms may include:

• Heavy, prolonged monthly periods, sometimes with clots,
• fatigue, secondary to a low blood count,
• pain or pressure between the hip bones or in the back of the legs,
• pain during intercourse,
• frequent need to urinate,
• constipation or bloating, and
• an enlarged belly.

“Our mission is to educate people about fibroid tumors and to inform them about treatment options,”
said Julien.

Photo of South Florida Vascular Associates courtesy of Bloom PR