When Elizabeth Davila’s gynecologist recommended surgery to remove two uterine fibroids, she was concerned to learn it would put her out of commission for at least a month. She was also warned that if something went wrong, the surgery could result in a hysterectomy, which would cause an early menopause.
“One wrong slip and I would have had a hysterectomy,” recalled Davila, a 43-year-old Carol Stream resident. “That scared me.”
Uterine fibroids are non-cancerous smooth muscle tumors of the uterus that occur in 20 to 50 percent of women. A friend told Davila about Dr. Steven Smith, an interventional radiologist who performs a minimally invasive procedure called uterine fibroid embolization (UFE) to treat uterine fibroids. Smith’s team did the first UFE procedure in Illinois two years ago at Adventist La Grange Memorial Hospital. Davila’s friend, who was treated by Smith, gave birth with no complications after undergoing the procedure. That was enough to impress Davila, who made an appointment to see Smith.
“He told me I’d be back on my feet in a week,” Davila recalled. “That was promising. And the worst thing that could happen was that I’d have to undergo the procedure again.”
She underwent an MRI and, in April 2007, had the UFE at Adventist La Grange Memorial Hospital. When she woke up in her hospital room, she wasn’t in any pain. Upon discharge and after getting some much-needed rest, Davila was back to her old self in just a few days.
“I had the procedure on Tuesday and by Friday I was on my feet feeling great,” Davila said.
Davila believes her guardian angel lead her to Smith. She complimented him for calling to see how she was doing while she recovered. She would recommend the procedure to other women in need of surgery to remove fibroids.
“Many American women with uterine fibroids aren’t aware of this high-tech, minimally invasive treatment option because they are still being steered toward surgery,” Smith said. “We want them to know there are alternatives.”