Embolization

Embolization is a treatment used to prevent blood flow to an area of the body, which can effectively shrink a tumor or block an aneurysm, including in the head, neck, brain and spinal cord.

In an embolization, a catheter (thin, flexible tube) is put into a blood vessel through a small incision. Sometimes, this treatment may be done alone, with surgery, or combined with another treatment.

Two more common embolization treatments, include:

• Coil embolization: a thin tube (catheter) is placed into an artery in the body, which is then threaded to the aneurysm, where a tiny coil will be placed into the aneurysm, causing a clot to form, which will then block the flow of blood through the aneurysm, and prevent it from bursting in the future.
• Uterine fibroid embolization (UFE): used to treat uterine fibroids without surgery and with a shorter recovery time. The uterus is spared using this non-surgical treatment.