Why would my gynecologist not tell me about UFE if it is such a great alternative to hysterectomy?
Excellent question. There are many possible explanations:
First of all, understand that a gynecologist is a surgeon. If you are in a gynecologist's office you are seeing a surgeon, who has every reason to expect that you want surgery or you would not have come to him/her. After all, you don't go to a car dealership to buy airline tickets. So why confuse you with non-surgical options? I don't agree with this line of reasoning but it is an argument I hear again and again. I think the gynecologist is obligated to tell you about UFE while discussing options for treating your fibroids, and failure to do so is unethical. But a lot of gynecologists disagree with me, and there is no legal obligation for them to tell you about UFE.
Second, your gynecologist has a financial motivation to do your hysterectomy: even when gynecologists are in a group practice, their take home pay is usually based on what they do (a common term for this is "they eat what they kill"...I am not making that up). If they send you away to have a UFE they lose a lot of money. In my practice, we pool all funds that come in from what we do and we all get paid the same amount every month. I did the numbers and figured out that I might take home $20-$30 for your UFE. Your gynecologist will make $1000-$2000 on your hysterectomy. Don't get me wrong, UFE is not cheaper than hysterectomy, they are about the same price. But I don't have a financial motivation to talk you into UFE.
Third, diseases of the uterus have been treated by gynecologists for a long time, certainly longer than you and I have been alive. I am not a gynecologist. People naturally get defensive about what they see as their turf. Some gynecologists don't like the feeling of loss of control if they send you to someone to fix a problem he or she could fix with hysterectomy.
Other reasons they might not tell you about UFE is that they are in a rush and forgot they are ethically obligated to tell you about other options. Or perhaps they don't keep up to date on treating fibroids. This last excuse was OK many years ago when UFE was fairly new. But the professional society of gynecologists in the US started recommending UFE for women who don't want hysterectomy in August of 2006; well over a decade ago.
In summary, if your gynecologist didn't tell you about UFE it is because he/she is dishonest, unethical, careless, or ignorant. Do you really want someone like that operating on you?
I keep a list of gynecologists in and around the San Antonio area who will tell their patients about UFE as an option and also take care of women who have had UFE in the past. I can provide this list to you on request.
First of all, understand that a gynecologist is a surgeon. If you are in a gynecologist's office you are seeing a surgeon, who has every reason to expect that you want surgery or you would not have come to him/her. After all, you don't go to a car dealership to buy airline tickets. So why confuse you with non-surgical options? I don't agree with this line of reasoning but it is an argument I hear again and again. I think the gynecologist is obligated to tell you about UFE while discussing options for treating your fibroids, and failure to do so is unethical. But a lot of gynecologists disagree with me, and there is no legal obligation for them to tell you about UFE.
Second, your gynecologist has a financial motivation to do your hysterectomy: even when gynecologists are in a group practice, their take home pay is usually based on what they do (a common term for this is "they eat what they kill"...I am not making that up). If they send you away to have a UFE they lose a lot of money. In my practice, we pool all funds that come in from what we do and we all get paid the same amount every month. I did the numbers and figured out that I might take home $20-$30 for your UFE. Your gynecologist will make $1000-$2000 on your hysterectomy. Don't get me wrong, UFE is not cheaper than hysterectomy, they are about the same price. But I don't have a financial motivation to talk you into UFE.
Third, diseases of the uterus have been treated by gynecologists for a long time, certainly longer than you and I have been alive. I am not a gynecologist. People naturally get defensive about what they see as their turf. Some gynecologists don't like the feeling of loss of control if they send you to someone to fix a problem he or she could fix with hysterectomy.
Other reasons they might not tell you about UFE is that they are in a rush and forgot they are ethically obligated to tell you about other options. Or perhaps they don't keep up to date on treating fibroids. This last excuse was OK many years ago when UFE was fairly new. But the professional society of gynecologists in the US started recommending UFE for women who don't want hysterectomy in August of 2006; well over a decade ago.
In summary, if your gynecologist didn't tell you about UFE it is because he/she is dishonest, unethical, careless, or ignorant. Do you really want someone like that operating on you?
I keep a list of gynecologists in and around the San Antonio area who will tell their patients about UFE as an option and also take care of women who have had UFE in the past. I can provide this list to you on request.
