IR UpFront


Fibroid fix: Uterine fibroid embolization Find more UFE resources for patients and referring physicians at sirweb.org/fibroidfix.


Advocating for UFE


Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., and Rep. Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y., introduced legislation in their respective chambers of Congress to increase funding for uterine fibroid education and research. To ensure this legislation receives proper consideration, contact your lawmakers and ask them to co-sponsor or support S. 4397 and/or H.R. 6383.


To learn more about how you can use your voice to compel Congress to act on this issue and others affecting IR, join the Voices for IR grassroots program as an Advocate or Envoy: sirweb.org/advocacy/voices-for-ir


Clinical pearls: Treating UFE 1 Most women self-refer for UFE. Community outreach is key to informing


patients about their options. New media such as Twitter and podcasts are a


great low-cost way to raise awareness about IR. All IR physicians should have updated webpages with current information and an easy scheduling process.


2 Educating physicians is just as important as educating women. At UAB we are working with gynecology to create a multidisciplinary fibroid group to discuss


complex patients. We also give grand rounds for the gynecology residents and have worked with the hospital to create educational podcasts that are aimed at referring physicians and provide CME credits.


3 Establishing good relationships with community gynecologists also leads to referrals of patients who present with postpartum complications such as


acquired or congenital uterine AVF/AVM. Many of these patients can be treated by IR using uterine sparing techniques.


–Rachel Oser, MD 1 Use a superior hypogastric nerve block (SHNB) to diminish pelvic pain after UFE. I


Help uterine fibroid patients find you


Let your patients know that board- certified interventional radiologists can deliver minimally invasive treatments with less risk, less pain and less recovery time than traditional surgery.


Update your Doctor Finder profile today to ensure that UFE is listed as one of your areas of expertise.


sirweb.org/patient-center/ doctor-finder


Get UFE MRIs covered


Sometimes carriers deny reimbursement for specific treatments. SIR has developed coverage letter templates to help ensure your patient has access to the care they need. Find letter templates for MRI imaging of the uterus prior to UFE at bit.ly/2IE9yLs.


12 IRQ | FALL 2020


it. Your patients won’t know what you spared them, but you and your nurses will. 2 If you work with a nurse or tech who has had UFE, let them speak to your


patients about their experience. –John “JT” Thomas, MD


1 Realistic expectations regarding pain and cramping following UFE are essential. 2 Patients are more appreciative and less apt to call back in the immediate


postprocedure interval when they may experience significant pain/cramping. 3 Most patients who see me in consult for UFE are self-referrals. Most patients


who seek treatment for fibroids however are not knowledgeable about UFE. It


behooves us as interventional radiologists to play an active role in getting the word out to physicians (primary care, family medicine, gynecology) and the community (community health talks, marketing) regarding UFE as a treatment option.


–Francis Scott Nowakowski, MD, FSIR


These pearls were taken from FAQs in Interventional Radiology Vol. 6, in which invited experienced individuals from academic and private practices share their perspectives on important clinical questions in IR. Each chapter opens with a series of top practice pearls related to its topic, followed by questions and answers. The discussions that follow in each chapter are similar to what one might read on SIR’s popular SIR Connect Open Forum. The book provides IRs with techniques and approaches to the clinical, imaging and technical aspects of the specialty that may be crucial to a successful practice. For details on how to purchase this and other volumes in the series, visit the IR store at bit.ly/2ZODnVE.


cringe when I think of all the pain I caused for all those years before I started using


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