When you’re a busy hair stylist in Atlanta, the last thing you want to deal with is heavy monthly cycles, blood clots and pain. Unfortunately, that’s what Starlyn had to deal with because she was suffering from uterine fibroids. She also suffered from painful intercourse and pressure on her bladder.
Her doctor prescribed birth control, but that didn’t work. “My cycle lasted 8 days, and sometimes I’d have two cycles in one month. Intercourse was painful, but I learned to deal with it. The cramps were painful and draining, but I had to push through and just deal with it. I had to make sure I was prepared at all times. I even kept supplies in my car and my purse.”
Suffering in Silence!
After dealing with these debilitating symptoms for years, Starlyn was ready to become fibroid free. She went to her primary care physician, who sent her to a gynecologist. Much to Starlyn’s surprise, the gynecologist told Starlyn she needed a hysterectomy. “When the doctor told me I needed to have my reproductive organs removed, I was devastated. I didn’t want my organs removed and I didn’t want surgery. I figured there had to be another way.” Starlyn said the doctor told her since she didn’t plan to have any more kids, she didn’t need her reproductive organs. “I left the doctor’s office in tears. I was flipping out.”
Ready to be fibroid free!
After leaving the doctor’s office, I went to the internet and that’s where I discovered UFE, Uterine Fibroid Embolization, the nonsurgical procedure for fibroids. Researching UFE and learning about the procedure and how it works, Starlyn was on a mission to find a doctor who performed UFE. It didn’t take long for Starlyn to find fibroid and UFE expert, Dr. Neel Patel.
“Dr. Patel took the time to inform me about the procedure, and he told me about my fibroids and why I was suffering so much. The staff scheduled my MRI and they were so accommodating. Dr. Patel was warm and caring, and I felt like I was in good hands. After coming in for a consultation, I learned I was indeed a candidate for UFE.”
UFE gave me my life back!
A couple of weeks later, Starlyn had her UFE procedure. “Dr. Patel and his staff were amazing. The nurse rubbed my hand, and they played music for me. I can’t say enough about the level of customer service I experienced at Dr. Patel’s facility. It’s an experience I’ll never forget.”Starlyn is now fibroid free. “I’d highly recommend Dr. Patel and UFE. My cycle is like it was when I was a teenager.
It lasts 3 to 4 days, there’s no more pain, no more clots and no more urinary frequency. Dr. Patel was informative, professional, comforting, caring and amazing. He made me feel like royalty.”
Uterine Fibroids and Their Symptoms
Fibroids are benign, non-cancerous tumors in or on the walls of the uterus, or womb. They can range from less than an inch to more than six inches in diameter. The majority of uterine fibroids are diagnosed in women between the ages of 35 and 54. However, fibroids can occur in women younger than 35. African-American women and those with a family history are more likely to develop fibroids.
• Heavy, prolonged monthly periods, sometimes with clots
• Anemia (fatigue due to low red blood count)
• Pain or pressure between the hip bones or in the back of the legs
• Pain during sexual intercourse
• Frequent need to urinate
• Constipation or bloating
• An enlarged belly
Symptoms may include:
Uterine Fibroid Embolization (UFE)- Takes less than an hour!
Uterine fibroid embolization, or UFE, is a minimally invasive option that preserves the uterus and greatly reduces recovery times compared to surgical procedures, namely hysterectomy and myomectomy. UFE blocks the blood supply to fibroids, causing them to shrink. The procedure takes under an hour, the patient is back home the same day and is clinically proven to reduce the major symptoms of fibroids, including pain, excessive and prolonged bleeding, and frequent urination.
About Dr. Neel Patel
Dr. Neel Patel is a board certified vascular and interventional radiologist specializing in UFE, uterine fibroid embolization, the nonsurgical treatment for uterine fibroids. He is the founder and medical director of the Minimally Invasive Center of Atlanta. Dr. Patel is on a mission to treat and educate women about fibroids and UFE. Dr. Patel was raised in the Atlanta area, attended undergraduate school at Georgia Tech and obtained his medical degree from the Medical College of Georgia.
He completed his internship at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, DC and completed his fellowship training in Vascular and Interventional Radiology at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, PA.
Minimally Invasive Center of Atlanta, 3840 Peachtree Industrial Blvd, Suite 275, Duluth, GA 30096, 470-441-8768, www.AtlantaFibroidClinic.com
