Millions Of Women Ignored Less Invasive Fibroid Treatments

For nearly ten years, doctors insisted Josette Santiago needed a hysterectomy to fix her fibroids. This condition plagues millions of women across the country. Yet she found a solution none of them ever mentioned.

Josette, a physical therapist in New Jersey, endured heavy periods and debilitating bloating from a benign growth that swelled until it matched the size of a melon. Every specialist she saw pushed for one thing: major surgery to remove her uterus. She hesitated at such an invasive step. When she refused, one physician bluntly told her there was nothing else they could do.

It took personal research to uncover a far less aggressive option that remained hidden from her medical team. Her story now highlights a troubling gap in care for millions of American women with fibroids. Why are so many offered major surgery without being informed about other paths? A 2024 survey revealed stark numbers. Fifty-three percent of women diagnosed received an offer for a hysterectomy, while only seventeen percent were told about procedures that shrink the growths without removing the uterus.

A hysterectomy can be the right choice for severe cases when other methods fail. It guarantees the fibroids will never return. But the operation is irreversible. It ends a woman's ability to become pregnant and carries risks like bleeding, infection, and damage to nearby organs. Recovery often takes several weeks of hard work. While less invasive alternatives do not suit everyone, Josette's case suggests some women are simply never told they exist.

She received her first diagnosis in 2016 at age forty-two. The growth measured just four centimeters, roughly the size of a walnut. Despite its small scale, it caused days of heavy bleeding and large clots every month. Swimming and long-distance running became increasingly difficult. Doctors claimed there was little they could do and said the fibroid would eventually shrink when she went through menopause.

Three years later, her symptoms showed no improvement. In 2019, she underwent an ablation that uses heat to destroy tissue in an attempt to control the bleeding. When she began seeing new doctors in 2020, however, she repeatedly encountered the same recommendation: a hysterectomy. By then, her bleeding had largely subsided, but doctors warned the fibroid could continue growing and press against nearby organs. Josette remained reluctant to undergo major surgery. When she refused, she says one doctor effectively fired her, telling her there was nothing more they could offer.

I just said, Forget it. I'll listen to my own body, Josette told the Daily Mail recently. By 2025, the fibroid became impossible to ignore. She felt full after eating only small amounts of food while her stomach swelled so much that women at her gym repeatedly asked if she was pregnant. Bending down also became increasingly difficult, creating a major problem in her work as a physical therapist.

By October that year, the fibroid had grown to sixteen centimeters, roughly the size of a honeydew melon. Her primary care doctor continued to recommend a hysterectomy, and Josette says she even received mail advertising the operation. Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong'o recalled earlier this year that she has had seventy-seven uterine fibroids causing heavy and painful periods.

Josette has already had 25 fibroids removed, yet more than 50 remain growing inside her body, with the largest swelling up to the size of an orange. She remains determined to avoid major surgery and began researching other treatments on her own. That search led her straight to uterine fibroid embolization, a procedure that cuts off blood supply to shrink the growths over time. Unlike a hysterectomy, this method does not involve removing the uterus entirely. Instead, a specialist inserts a thin tube through a tiny puncture in an artery located in the wrist or groin before delivering microscopic particles to block flow to the tumors. The whole process typically takes around an hour, allowing many patients to return home the same day. For Josette, it seemed like exactly what she had spent years looking for, but she was astonished that none of her doctors mentioned it. She initially found a clinic in Dallas offering the procedure only to discover her New Jersey health insurance would not cover treatment there. Instead, the physician referred her to Dr Tate Kirk, an interventional radiologist based in Westchester County just outside New York City. Despite years of consultations, Josette had been unaware that a specialist offering this specific option was available so close to home. 'I would not have gone to all this trouble if it was offered to me in 2016, 2017 or even 2018. I would have gone for it. Nobody really told me about it,' she said. One possible reason women may not hear about embolization is that it is performed by a different type of specialist from the doctors who usually diagnose and treat fibroids. While hysterectomies are carried out by gynecologists, embolization is generally performed by interventional radiologists, doctors who use scans to guide minimally invasive procedures. This means patients may need to be referred to another specialist just to explore the option. But embolization is not necessarily the right treatment for every woman with fibroids. The growths vary enormously in size and location, and treatment depends on the symptoms they cause, a woman's medical history, and whether she hopes to have children. For some, medication can control heavy bleeding, while others may benefit from a myomectomy, an operation that removes the fibroids while leaving the uterus intact. Embolization can be highly effective at relieving symptoms, but it does not always work, and some women eventually need further treatment. It can also affect ovarian function and fertility, making it a less suitable option for some women who hope to become pregnant. A hysterectomy, meanwhile, may be the best choice for women with severe or recurring symptoms who want a permanent solution. Nevertheless, Kirk believes embolization deserves to be discussed far more widely. He explained that the procedure works not only by shrinking fibroids but also by changing the consistency of their tissue. 'It doesn't go away completely, but it doesn't really behave like a fibroid anymore,' he told the Daily Mail. Large fibroids can be hard and dense, pressing against the bladder and other surrounding structures. But after embolization, Kirk says they become softer and less likely to exert the same pressure. 'It becomes almost like a sponge.

Dr. Kirk explains that the fibroid becomes compressed by the treatment rather than squeezing surrounding tissues. He projects that a growth similar to Josette's could reduce in size by roughly 50 percent within six months, though individual outcomes differ. Josette received this procedure in April 2026 following blood tests and an MRI scan designed to evaluate her specific fibroid.

Kirk threaded a thin tube through an artery near the top of her thigh and directed it toward the vessels feeding the uterus. Tiny particles were then injected to block blood flow to the growth. She received twilight sedation, which kept her in a hazy state where she could still answer questions. The entire treatment lasted about an hour before she spent two hours in recovery. She left with prescription pain medication that she reportedly never needed.

Within two days Josette was walking again. A fever and fatigue lingered for approximately one week, yet she reported no other complications. Honestly, it felt like a really easy procedure to her. The following week seemed as though nothing had happened at all. Not everyone recovers quite so easily however.

Embolization can cause significant pain and cramping in the days after treatment along with nausea, fever, and fatigue. Less commonly, complications may include infection, damage to ovarian function, or a need for further surgery. Fibroids themselves are extraordinarily common with estimates suggesting up to 80 percent of women develop them by age 50. Many never experience symptoms or require treatment because their growth is influenced by estrogen and progesterone hormones. They often shrink naturally after menopause anyway.

For Josette the benefits have been significant since undergoing the procedure. Her intense bloating has subsided completely and she has experienced no further heavy bleeding. She returned to running, swimming, and cycling without struggle while ignoring the physical demands of her job. An MRI scan is scheduled for December to establish exactly how much the fibroid has shrunk. After years of feeling self-conscious about her swollen stomach and fielding questions about pregnancy she says she finally feels comfortable in her own body again. I am a little more confident now wearing my bathing suit and everything, she stated.

Josette hopes sharing her experience will encourage other women with fibroids to ask about all available treatments before agreeing to major surgery. I am happy to tell everybody about this procedure, she said. If only it was out there in the open more and doctors operated in less of a harder way. Her advice to other women is simple and direct. Do not stick with one doctor when they say something because you can always get a second, third or fourth opinion about it.