Jeanne Fareri, RNC, interventional radiology, left, and Rose Anne O’Hare, RN, vice president of patient care services, discuss the UAE community initiative at a recent Nursing Spectrum roundtable.
(Photo by Janice Petrella Lynch, RN)
BRONXVILLE, N.Y. — At Lawrence Hospital Center, nurses and physicians from the interventional radiology department are reaching out to the community to inform women about uterine artery embolization, or UAE, a minimally invasive treatment for uterine fibroids. “Women are more active participants in their own care so they are becoming aware of UAE as an option,” says Jeanne Fareri, RNC, interventional radiology.
Fareri and Carlos Tulla, MD, are speaking at a local community center in late October about the procedure and the preop and postop process. Interested individuals will be asked to speak with their physicians after the program. LHC plans to disseminate program information through local radio and newspapers and on the LHC Web site, www.lawrencehealth.org.
The embolic agent, which is injected through a catheter at the groin site, blocks the blood supply to the uterine artery, causing fibroids to shrink. UAE has been successful in reducing the size of fibroids and in reducing symptoms that accompany uterine fibroids, such as excessive bleeding, pelvic pain, pressure, cramping, bloating, and weight gain.
At Lawrence, patients often are referred to the department through their OB/GYN physicians. At the initial consultation, the woman receives a limited physical assessment and discusses treatment options with a physician from interventional radiology. Imaging studies confirm where the fibroids are located. If the patient is considered a candidate, medical clearance is necessary.
Fareri educates women about the procedure beforehand. After the procedure, Fareri discusses side effects, such as temporary pain and cramping. “Most patients go home after a 23-hour stay. We recommend that they take at least four to five days off and avoid heavy lifting during that time,” Fareri says.
For more pictures, visit www.Nurse.com, scroll down to the Photo Galleries tab, and click on “What’s Happening at Lawrence.”
Fareri and Carlos Tulla, MD, are speaking at a local community center in late October about the procedure and the preop and postop process. Interested individuals will be asked to speak with their physicians after the program. LHC plans to disseminate program information through local radio and newspapers and on the LHC Web site, www.lawrencehealth.org.
The embolic agent, which is injected through a catheter at the groin site, blocks the blood supply to the uterine artery, causing fibroids to shrink. UAE has been successful in reducing the size of fibroids and in reducing symptoms that accompany uterine fibroids, such as excessive bleeding, pelvic pain, pressure, cramping, bloating, and weight gain.
At Lawrence, patients often are referred to the department through their OB/GYN physicians. At the initial consultation, the woman receives a limited physical assessment and discusses treatment options with a physician from interventional radiology. Imaging studies confirm where the fibroids are located. If the patient is considered a candidate, medical clearance is necessary.
Fareri educates women about the procedure beforehand. After the procedure, Fareri discusses side effects, such as temporary pain and cramping. “Most patients go home after a 23-hour stay. We recommend that they take at least four to five days off and avoid heavy lifting during that time,” Fareri says.
For more pictures, visit www.Nurse.com, scroll down to the Photo Galleries tab, and click on “What’s Happening at Lawrence.”
