Key facts
- Success after UFE can mean symptom relief, shrinkage on imaging, or freedom from further treatment, and studies do not all measure the same thing.
- In FEMME, myomectomy gave better fibroid-related quality of life than UFE at 2 years (mean UFS-QOL score 84.6 vs 80.01).
- In the EMMY trial's 10-year follow-up, about two thirds of UFE patients avoided a later hysterectomy, and quality of life was similar between UFE and hysterectomy2.
- In the REST trial, 32% of UFE patients needed further intervention by 5 years, versus 4% after surgery, while quality of life was similar between the two3.
- In the FIBROID Registry's 3-year follow-up, 9.79% of patients went on to hysterectomy, 2.82% to myomectomy, and 1.83% to repeat UFE4.
- A Cochrane systematic review found that people who had UFE were more likely than people who had surgery to need a further procedure within 2 years5.
- Talk with your doctor before you decide. This information does not replace personal medical advice.
What does success after UFE mean?
This page uses three common ways to describe success after UFE: symptom relief, shrinkage on imaging, and freedom from further treatment. That three-part framework is editorial, not something the cited trials used as a single combined measure. FEMME compared fibroid-related quality of life (the UFS-QOL score) between myomectomy and UFE at 2 years, and found myomectomy scored better (mean 84.6 vs 80.0, an adjusted difference of 8.0 points, 95% CI 1.8–14.1, P=0.011). EMMY measured reintervention rates, quality of life, and patient satisfaction at 10 years2. REST measured quality of life and the need for further intervention at 5 years3. A result can look like success on one measure and not on another, so there is no single success percentage that fits every reader.
Why this matters: Ask which measure matters most to you before treatment, and bring that question to your visit with questions to ask before UFE.
Questions to ask
- When you say UFE worked, do you mean symptom relief, shrinkage on imaging, or no further treatment?
- Which of those measures matters most for my symptoms?
- How will we check each measure after treatment?
Shrinkage, and whether fibroids grow back
Fibroids treated with UFE are expected to shrink over the following months. That does not mean no fibroid will ever be seen again on imaging: whether a treated fibroid can grow back, or whether new fibroids can form over time, is a question for your own imaging follow-up and your care team.
Questions to ask
- How much shrinkage would you expect for my fibroids, and on what imaging?
- If imaging later shows a fibroid, how do we tell a treated fibroid from a new one?
- What follow-up imaging do you plan, and when?
How long does UFE last?
How long UFE lasts is usually described by how often further treatment is needed over time. By 5 years in the REST trial, 32 in 100 UFE patients needed further intervention for inadequate symptom control or complications, versus 4 in 100 after surgery3. By 10 years in the EMMY trial, 35 in 100 UFE patients had gone on to a hysterectomy, meaning about two thirds avoided one2. In the FIBROID Registry, by 3 years 9.79% of patients had gone on to hysterectomy, 2.82% to myomectomy, and 1.83% to repeat UFE4. A Cochrane systematic review found that people who had UFE were more likely than people who had surgery to need a further procedure within 2 years5. These rates differ because the studies followed patients for different lengths of time and counted further treatment differently.
Questions to ask
- How long do you follow patients after UFE, and what do you check?
- What would count as needing further treatment in my case?
- Which further treatments could be considered if one is needed?
Does UFE work for large or pedunculated fibroids?
Size and location are questions for your own imaging review.
Questions to ask
- How large are my fibroids, and where are they?
- Is any fibroid pedunculated, and does that change the options we discuss?
- Which measure of success should we use for fibroids like mine?
If symptoms do not improve
If UFE does not relieve your symptoms, that is a question about one specific measure of success. It does not necessarily mean the fibroids did not shrink, or that further treatment will be needed. Ask your doctor what the imaging shows and what further treatment could be considered. Other fibroid guides are collected in the fibroid article library, and recovery questions are covered in the UFE recovery timeline.
Questions to ask
- If my symptoms do not improve, when should I tell you?
- What imaging or visit comes next if symptoms stay the same?
- What further treatment could be considered, and who would I see for it?
Questions to ask before you decide
These figures come from a handful of trials and a registry, and your own case may differ from the patients studied. Talk with your doctor before you decide. You can also compare the broader choices in non-surgical fibroid treatment.
Questions to ask your doctor
- Which measure of success fits my situation: symptom relief, imaging shrinkage, or freedom from further treatment?
- How does my chance of needing further surgery compare with the rates reported in the REST, EMMY, and Cochrane reviews5?
- What follow-up will show whether UFE worked for me?
Common questions
Does UFE work?
Trials measured different outcomes, so there is no single answer. FEMME found myomectomy gave better fibroid-related quality of life than UFE at 2 years (mean score 84.6 vs 80.0 on the UFS-QOL scale1). EMMY found quality of life and satisfaction were similar between UFE and hysterectomy at 10 years, and about two thirds of UFE patients avoided a later hysterectomy2. REST found quality of life was similar between UFE and surgery at 5 years, though more UFE patients needed further treatment, 32% vs 4%3. Talk with your doctor about which outcome matters most to you.
Can fibroids grow back after UFE?
Fibroids treated with UFE are expected to shrink over the following months. That does not mean no fibroid will ever be seen again on imaging: whether a treated fibroid can grow back, or whether new fibroids can form over time, is a question for your own imaging follow-up and your care team. Talk with your doctor before you decide.
What is the success rate of UFE?
There is no single success rate, because studies measured different outcomes over different follow-up periods. By 5 years, 32 in 100 UFE patients in the REST trial needed further treatment for inadequate symptom control or complications3. By 10 years in the EMMY trial, 35 in 100 UFE patients had a later hysterectomy, meaning about two thirds avoided one2. In the FIBROID Registry, by 3 years 9.79% had gone on to hysterectomy, 2.82% to myomectomy, and 1.83% to repeat UFE4. A Cochrane systematic review found that people who had UFE were more likely than people who had surgery to need a further procedure within 2 years5. Ask your doctor which of these numbers best matches your situation.
How much do fibroids shrink after UFE?
Fibroids treated with UFE are expected to shrink over the following months, but shrinkage on imaging varies from person to person. Ask your doctor what to expect on your own follow-up imaging.
What if UFE does not relieve my symptoms?
Symptom relief is one way success is measured, separate from imaging shrinkage or the need for further treatment. If your symptoms do not improve, ask your doctor what the imaging shows and what further treatment could be considered.
Talk with your doctor before you decide. This information does not replace personal medical advice. Read the medical disclaimer.