Symptoms and imaging
Review focuses on symptomatic fibroids, their location and size, and whether they explain the bleeding or pressure. A scan alone is not enough to select treatment.
Los Angeles & Orange County · UFE care
Uterine Fibroid Embolization (UFE) in Los Angeles
Uterine fibroid embolization (UFE) may ease heavy bleeding and pressure from fibroids. A doctor guides a thin tube into an artery. Small particles reduce blood flow so the fibroids can shrink. UFE keeps the uterus, but does not promise a future pregnancy. Discuss your symptoms, scans and pregnancy plans before choosing care.
Los Angeles visits: Van Nuys and Tarzana. Orange County visits: Fountain Valley. Confirm your appointment address, place of treatment and follow-up location separately.
Fibroid-focused reviewUterus-preserving treatmentPregnancy goals matter
Your UFE visit
Meet Nathanael Sabbah, MD
Dr. Sabbah is an interventional radiologist at SoCal Interventional. His Cedars-Sinai physician profile lists board certifications in Interventional Radiology and Diagnostic Radiology, and Nuclear Medicine.
A visit reviews your fibroid symptoms, imaging and pregnancy goals to compare suitable options, risks and follow-up.
Los Angeles visits are available in Van Nuys and Tarzana. Orange County visits are available in Fountain Valley. Confirm the place of treatment separately.
Choosing your visit physician
How do I choose a UFE doctor in Los Angeles?
Start with the physician’s credentials, experience with fibroid embolization and plan for your follow-up. Bring the same questions to each visit so you can compare the answers. A search ranking or an online review does not show which treatment or physician is right for you.
Questions about the physician and your options
- Credentials: Where can I verify your specialty training and current board certification?
- Experience: How often do you perform UFE? How do you track outcomes, complications and later treatment?
- My priorities: How will my symptoms, past treatment and pregnancy goals shape the options we discuss?
- Other opinions: How can I compare UFE with my gynecologist’s recommendations? Who will coordinate that conversation?
Questions about appointments and follow-up
- Records: Which existing imaging and gynecology records should I provide? How can I send them securely?
- Location and costs: Which office is my visit at? Where would a procedure occur? Who checks each site’s network and authorization requirements?
- Follow-up: Who answers questions after treatment? How are follow-up appointments arranged? Whom should I contact after hours?
Planning a visit with Nathanael Sabbah, MD?
- Review the physician information and credential source.
- Choose the Van Nuys or Tarzana office for your visit.
- Use the Los Angeles UFE visit guide and cost and insurance questions to prepare.
Do not include private medical records in a general website message; ask the office for its secure transfer instructions.
For a step-by-step credential check and a records-coordination note to use before your visit, read how to choose a UFE specialist in Los Angeles and Orange County.
Request a UFE consultationWhat is uterine fibroid embolization?
If your imaging also mentions adenomyosis, read how fibroids and adenomyosis differ before comparing treatments.
How does UFE treat fibroids? UFE reduces their blood supply through a thin tube in an artery. It is also called uterine artery embolization, or UAE. Treated fibroids can shrink over time and symptoms may ease. UFE keeps the uterus. It does not remove the fibroids or guarantee fertility.
UFE vs UAE: understand your fibroid referral
Fibroids can cause heavy or long periods, pelvic pressure and a feeling of fullness. You may need to urinate often. Blood loss can cause anemia, which also needs care. Finding fibroids on a scan does not mean they explain every symptom.
Your clinician reviews ultrasound or MRI findings, bleeding history and other possible causes. Gynecologic testing may be needed before choosing embolization. ACOG’s fibroid overview explains diagnosis and the range of treatments.
Compare all major fibroid treatment options
Who may be a UFE candidate?
Pregnancy priorities
Tell the team whether you hope to conceive, may want pregnancy later or are unsure. Keeping the uterus and fertility outcomes are different questions that require specific counseling.
Medical suitability
Pregnancy, active pelvic infection or concern for cancer can change or rule out the plan. Kidney function, contrast allergy, bleeding risk and other health conditions also matter.
A gynecologist and interventional radiologist can help compare options. If future pregnancy is a priority, discuss whether myomectomy or further fertility review is a better fit before committing to UFE.
UFE vs myomectomy, medication and hysterectomy
| Option | What it does | What to consider |
|---|---|---|
| Observation / medicine | Monitoring or medicines may be suitable for mild symptoms or bleeding control. | Effect on bulk symptoms, duration of use and pregnancy goals vary by treatment. |
| UFE / UAE | Reduces fibroid blood supply so treated fibroids can shrink. | Keeps the uterus; cramping and tiredness are expected early. Symptoms may stay or come back. |
| Myomectomy | Surgically removes fibroids while keeping the uterus. | Route depends on fibroid location, size and number. Discuss scarring, recurrence and pregnancy plans. |
| Hysterectomy | Removes the uterus and provides definitive treatment for uterine fibroids. | Pregnancy is no longer possible. Surgical route and medical factors influence recovery and risks. |
Recovery comparisons should use the specific surgery proposed. Hysteroscopic, laparoscopic and open abdominal procedures have different experiences and timelines.
What do clinical studies show about UFE?
Related guide: UFE reviews and success rates for specific outcomes.
The FEMME trial found better quality of life after both UAE and myomectomy. At two years, the average gain was larger after myomectomy. At four years, the gap still favored surgery but was not statistically clear. Missing follow-up data made the result less certain.
The four-year report recorded more repeat procedures after UAE than after myomectomy, with an imprecise estimate. Initial recovery and the chance of further treatment both belong in a balanced comparison. FEMME trial report; four-year follow-up.
What about future pregnancy? People have become pregnant after both treatments. Too few pregnancies occurred in the FEMME trial to show which gave better pregnancy outcomes. Keeping the uterus does not prove that fertility is preserved. One reported pregnancy cannot show that the treatments have the same risks. Read the reproductive-outcomes analysis
What to expect before and during UFE
Review the diagnosis
Bring imaging reports, bleeding history, anemia testing if available and past treatment records. Ask whether additional gynecologic review is needed.
Plan the procedure
Discuss the small artery entry site, sedation, pain-control plan, medicines and whether an overnight stay may be suitable. Arrange a ride and support for early recovery.
Treat the fibroid blood supply
The doctor uses X-rays and contrast dye to guide a thin tube into the uterine arteries. Tiny particles then reduce blood flow to the fibroids.
ACR/RSNA’s UFE patient guide describes procedure preparation and what happens afterward.
UFE recovery: the first days and the months ahead
Pelvic cramping, tiredness, nausea and other post-embolization symptoms can occur early. Pain management and clear after-hours contact instructions are important. Some patients leave the same day; others need observation or an overnight stay.
Many patients return to usual activities in about one to two weeks, but recovery depends on symptoms, work demands and the treatment course. Fibroid shrinkage and relief of pressure symptoms develop over months. Follow the team’s instructions rather than treating a typical timeline as a personal deadline.
Follow-up assesses bleeding, pressure symptoms and whether further imaging or treatment is needed. Persistent, recurrent or changing symptoms deserve review.
UFE risks and warning signs
UFE can cause bleeding at the artery entry site, infection or a reaction to contrast dye. It uses radiation. Rarely, particles reach and injure the wrong tissue. Fibroid tissue may pass through the cervix. Periods or the function of the ovaries may change. Ongoing symptoms or complications can lead to more treatment, including surgery. Johns Hopkins’ UAE overview
Seek urgent care for severe or worsening pelvic pain, a fever that stays or comes with worsening symptoms, or foul-smelling discharge. Heavy bleeding with faintness also needs urgent care. Even before treatment, seek prompt help for heavy bleeding with dizziness, fainting or shortness of breath. Do not wait for an online appointment reply.
UFE evaluations in Los Angeles and Orange County
Meet with Nathanael Sabbah, MD to discuss your diagnosis, past treatment and goals. Our visit locations serve patients across the San Fernando Valley and Orange County. Confirm the office address and place of treatment when scheduling; they may be different.
Van Nuys
15211 Vanowen Street, Suite 305, Van Nuys, CA 91405. View Van Nuys office
Tarzana
18370 Burbank Boulevard, Suite 514, Tarzana, CA 91356. View Tarzana office
Fountain Valley
10900 Warner Avenue, Suite 101A, Fountain Valley, CA 92708. View Fountain Valley office
Who performs embolization? An interventional radiologist evaluates and treats the relevant arteries using imaging guidance. Dr. Sabbah’s Cedars-Sinai provider profile lists his training and board certifications. Your visit should cover the planned technique, other options, risks and follow-up—not just the procedure name.
UFE cost, insurance and consultation planning
Your share of the cost depends on your insurance plan, doctor and place of treatment. The plan may need proof that UFE is medically needed and approval before care. An office accepting your plan does not mean UFE is covered. Ask for a coverage check and written estimate before booking treatment.
Bring imaging reports, your medicine and allergy lists, previous procedure records and your main questions. Do not stop prescribed medicines without instructions from your treating team.
Continue your UFE research
Deciding between embolization and surgery? Compare UFE versus hysterectomy recovery, periods and future treatment using the operation your gynecologist would recommend.
UFE: answers to common questions
Is UFE the same as uterine artery embolization?
For fibroid treatment, UFE and UAE commonly refer to the same embolization approach. UAE is a broader term that can also describe embolization for other uterine conditions; the reason for the procedure should be clear.
Does UFE remove fibroids?
No. UFE reduces their blood supply so treated fibroids can shrink. Myomectomy removes fibroids surgically. Either approach can leave a need for more care if symptoms stay or come back.
Can I become pregnant after UFE?
Pregnancy can occur, but UFE cannot guarantee fertility or equivalent pregnancy outcomes to other treatments. Discuss your goals with gynecology and interventional radiology before treatment, including whether myomectomy or fertility review is a better fit.
How long is UFE recovery?
Many patients resume usual activities in about one to two weeks, although cramping, tiredness, work demands and individual recovery can change that timeline. Follow your treating team’s instructions for driving, lifting, exercise and return to work.
When do fibroid symptoms improve after UFE?
Improvement develops over time and varies by symptom and patient. Fibroid shrinkage and pressure relief generally evolve over months. Follow-up is needed to assess bleeding, bulk symptoms and whether more treatment is required.
Is UFE better than myomectomy?
Neither is best for everyone. Symptoms, fibroid location, pregnancy goals, the proposed surgical route and the evidence on quality of life and repeat treatment should guide a shared decision.
Can fibroids or symptoms return after UFE?
Symptoms may stay or come back and further treatment may be needed. Follow-up should reassess the cause of symptoms rather than assuming every new symptom is from the same fibroid.
Is UFE covered by insurance?
Coverage, authorization and out-of-pocket cost depend on your plan and the proposed clinician and facility. Ask for procedure-specific verification and a written estimate before scheduling.
Where can I request a UFE consultation?
SoCal Interventional offers UFE evaluations in Van Nuys, Tarzana and Fountain Valley. Call (310) 929-0026 or use the appointment form for a nonurgent request; confirm the visit and procedure locations.
An informed next step
Editorially updated November 15, 2026. Prepared by the SoCal Interventional Editorial Team using the clinical sources linked on this page. General health information does not replace care from your own clinician. Read our editorial policy.
Use the appointment form below for a nonurgent visit, or call (310) 929-0026.