Nside Magazine M.D. did a feature article on Dr. Thomas and the IRC and fibroids in early 2010. The article is reproduced here. If you wish you can see it on the Nside www site along with many other articles on San Antonio physicians.
Ten to 21 million women have fibroids in the United States. In 2006, the New York Times reported an estimated 600,000 hysterectomies performed every year to treat women with fibroids.
Unlike most other forms of tumors, you're less likely to hear about fibroids. Unbeknown to most women, fibroids are clearly common. While they are benign tumors that exist in the uterus, once a woman begins to experience symptoms, she'll be unable to ignore their presence.
Fibroids invade the uterus causing pelvic pain, back and leg pain, abnormal and heavy menstrual bleeding, constant urination, painful intercourse, and even constipation and bloating. In some cases, the tumor can cause the stomach to protrude as if a woman were pregnant.
While fibroids maintain the same molecular structure as cancer, they don't spread throughout the body. An OB/GYN is more likely to recommend a hysterectomy; but for many women, that is simply not an option. Women in their child-bearing years seek an alternative route.
They are not alone in their endeavor. Dr. John Thomas, an interventional radiologist at the Interventional Radiology Clinic of South Texas Radiology Group is informing women that there is another way. His expertise led him to a proven non-surgical method that has shown a highly effective success rate amongst patients for over a decade.
This treatment is known as uterine fibroid embolization or UFE. Today, statistics show an estimated 13,000 to 14,000 women undergo UFE every year. Yet, as the doctor clearly points out, most women don't even realize this type of solution is available. Thomas is one of few doctors in the Alamo City who specializes in UFE.
On The Cutting Edge
Thomas and his staff have coined UFE “the cutting edge of medicine.” In 1995, French gynecologist, Jacques Ravina, questioned if they could block the blood flow to the uterus by embolization, would a woman still need to go through a hysterectomy? In 1995, Ravina wrote his findings in the British Journal of Medicine noting that it appeared to control the symptoms without surgery.
In 1996, Scott Goodwin of the University of California at Irvine did a handful of procedures and reported the same findings. By the following year, UFE was taking place in hospitals across the United States. Thomas began offering the procedure in 1999 to his patients. For over a decade, he's performed UFE on close to 1,000 women.
“We've seen a 90 to 95 percent success rate,” he shares. “It's the most extensively studied treatment for fibroids ever. Every major trial has shown how superior it is. This is a clinical reality for women who opt to keep their uterus.”
This nonsurgical procedure is the most viable alternative to a hysterectomy. Utilizing a catheter that is inserted through the femoral artery and guided to the uterine artery, tiny pellets work to cut off the blood supply to fibroids.
“We play a role in helping patients in the hospital where we can drain infected collections, open up blood vessels that are narrowed or block down blood vessels that are bleeding. We can drain bile ducts or kidneys that are obstructed,” he explains.
Observing statistics of Bexar County, at any given time there are 55,000 women who have fibroids. Only a quarter of them will be symptomatic which totals 13,000. Every year, 2,400 hysterectomies are performed locally. Half of those surgeries are directly related to fibroids.
“They don't cause symptoms in every woman,” the doctor explains. In fact, when a woman reaches menopause, the fibroids die on their own and become scar tissue. However, for many women, fibroids develop as big bloody benign tumors that can become very problematic.
“Most women come in with complaints of discomfort and heavy bleeding,” he notes.
Utilizing the benefits of UFE, Thomas is able to create a positive outcome for younger patients. “We can make them go through the same process of turning it into scar tissue,” he says. “Not only does it take away the bulk symptoms, but it takes away the bleeding immediately. It's like turning off a faucet.”
The Healing Alternative
Thomas meets with every patient to piece each symptom together in order to ensure this is the best course of action. The procedure shows to work virtually every time to stop the bleeding. “It's neat to be able to do these things in a minimally invasive way,” he explains.
Similar to other procedures, it's not without risks and the cost is equivalent to a hysterectomy. However, whereas a patient's down time after a hysterectomy is typically six weeks, most of Thomas' patients are back to work after only three days. The hope for most women is that by choosing UFE rather than a hysterectomy, they are able to bear children.
“The point I try to make is to let people know just how common a disease fibroids is. For ages, the only treatment has been a hysterectomy and a lot of women don't want to go there. They ask, ‘Do I really have to take such a radical step?’ Because OB/GYNs don't look at a hysterectomy as a radical surgery, they don't insist on alternatives. But if there's another way of doing it, women need to know about it,” the doctor stresses.
At 35 years old, Lori Hartman suffered from fibroids for three years when she was referred to Thomas by her gynecologist. “The uterine fibroid embolization process that Dr. J.T. performed on me has changed my life in so many positive ways and I still have the possibility of having children in the future,” she shares.
Another patient, Jamie, was referred to Thomas after years of unbearable menstrual cycles. Her gynecologist recommended a hysterectomy but Jaime still wanted the opportunity to have a baby. UFE was the answer. “I received immediate relief during my menstrual cycles. I had a new life by my 41st birthday!” she says. “Lo and behold, I became a mother one year later.”
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recognize UFE as a viable alternative to a hysterectomy and should be considered for women who want to keep their uterus, says Thomas, who receives calls every day from patients who visit his Web site, or are referred by their OB/GYN. Every year, he performs between 50 to 70 uterine fibroid embolizations. “That's a tiny fraction of the number of women who are actually symptomatic,” he says.
Inspiration Beckons
A native of Hawaii, Thomas moved to San Antonio with his family while his father was in the Air Force. He graduated from MacArthur High School and later pursued his studies at Texas A&M University. It was during his third year at the university when he became interested in medicine. In fact, he debated between agriculture, power generation and medicine.
“I wasn't sure what was going to be my life's work,” he admits. “I knew there would always be a need for these three things.”
Thomas received his bachelor's degree in biology and a master's degree in nuclear engineering before entering the University of Texas Medical School at Houston, where he met his wife, Azreenas, a neurologist.
“I was the first in my family to study medicine,” he says.
Thomas worked for MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston before transferring back to San Antonio. In 2008, he was named chief of staff at Methodist Hospital.
Thomas opened the Radiology Clinic in 2005, working alongside a distinguished group of doctors and dedicated staff. “The reason we started this clinic was specifically for this procedure,” says Thomas, who emphasizes the need for uterine fibroid embolization in San Antonio.
In addition to fibroid patients, the clinic is dedicated to oncology patients and those with varicose veins. “UFE is the procedure we're most interested here at the clinic. It's done electively to treat women with fibroids,” he says.
A New Day
As Thomas expresses a genuine concern and appreciation for all his patients from fibroids to oncology, he exposes perhaps the very root of his passion.
“I could sit and talk about fibroids for hours,” he insists. “I understand how draining and bothersome to a woman it can be when she has a big mass obstructing her which is why it's so important to me to be able to offer this procedure without going through surgery.”
The moment you speak to Dr. John Thomas, his sincerity shines through as he articulates his commitment to battling fibroids and allowing women an alternate route towards recovery.
“The reward for me is being able to offer something to my patients that gets them back to being happy and healthy,” he says.