Enhancing patient experience through shortened hospital stay after Uterine Artery Embolization (UAE) for fibroid

Abstract

Background: Uterine artery embolization (UAE) is a well-established, minimally invasive treatment for benign uterine conditions such as fibroids and adenomyosis, offering high technical and clinical success with reduced blood loss, shorter hospital stay and faster recovery compared with surgical options. However, post-embolization pain related to ischemic and inflammatory changes remains the principal limitation to establishing UAE as a true day-care procedure. We report the case of a 51-year-old woman with symptomatic uterine fibroids and transfusion-dependent menorrhagia who underwent successful bilateral UAE. Peri-procedural pain control was achieved using a fluoroscopy-guided superior hypogastric nerve block combined with shortduration low-dose fentanyl infusion. The patient was discharged after 30 hrs of observation with good pain control. Follow-up at 7 days demonstrated minimal residual pain and complete devascularization of fibroids on ultrasound. This case highlights the technical aspects of UAE and emphasizes the role of a structured, multimodal pain-management strategy in improving patient comfort, reducing opioid requirements, and facilitating early discharge after UAE.