An advanced fibroid treatment known as Uterine Fibroid Embolization (UFE) provided at Aga Khan University Hospital has gained popularity since the introduction of this procedure five years ago. Dr Nigel Hacking, a UFE specialist based in England working together with the obstetrics and gynaecology faculty at Aga Khan University Hospital have carried out over 200 operations. The availability of this procedure has increased the number of treatment options for patients suffering from fibroids in East Africa.
Fibroids are a non-cancerous growth of the muscle of the uterus which typically occur in women during their reproductive years. Research indicates that one in five women has fibroids and black women are two to three times more likely to have them compared to their white counterparts.