Local teacher finds relief from fibroids through minimally invasive treatment at Beacon

Melvenea Hodges

For years, Melvenea Hodges brought energy and enthusiasm to her elementary school classroom, while privately battling a health condition that drained her vitality. She struggled alone in silence until finally reaching out to her primary care provider in 2022.

Month after month, her condition began to take an increasing toll on her daily routine. What started as manageable symptoms evolved into such severe menstrual cycles that she had to carefully plan her schedule and make frequent trips to the restroom throughout the day. Nights became particularly challenging as uninterrupted sleep grew rare.

Melvenea said she felt “hostage” to her own body.

Her primary care provider referred her to a specialist who diagnosed her with uterine fibroids and recommended a hysterectomy—an option she found too extreme. Her aunt had suffered unpleasant side effects after a total hysterectomy, and Melvenea worried about experiencing similar complications.

“I remember leaving and just crying in my car,” she said. It would be months before she worked up the courage to seek help again, and in the meantime, she managed the exhausting symptoms, including an iron deficiency, on her own.

An appointment with a new physician marked the turning point for Melvenea. Finally, someone listened to her concerns and proposed a minimally invasive treatment alternative to a hysterectomy: uterine fibroid embolization (UFE), in which blood flow is cut to the fibroids, causing them to decrease in size and stop bleeding. She decided to schedule a clinical consultation with Dr. Michael Ginsburg of Beacon Medical Group Interventional Radiology and Vascular Specialists, who agreed that embolization would be a good option for her.

During the embolization procedure, an interventional radiologist inserts a tiny tube called a catheter through a blood vessel in the leg or wrist, guiding it to the blood vessels that feed the uterine fibroids. Tiny particles are injected through the catheter to stop the blood flow to the fibroids. Once blocked, the fibroids begin to shrink gradually over the following weeks and months.

“Most individuals who undergo UFE have a dramatic improvement in their symptoms and a decrease in size of their uterine fibroids,” Dr. Ginsburg said. “If they experienced heavy menstruation, it would usually return to a more normal flow after UFE.”

Dr. Michael Ginsburg, Beacon Medical Group Interventional Radiology and Vascular Specialists

UFE is a well-established, minimally invasive, safe and highly effective non-surgical treatment for symptomatic fibroids. It is an alternative to both hysterectomy and myomectomy and is recognized by the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

“It is a great option for women who wish to preserve their uterus and avoid surgery and effective for individuals with only a few fibroids as well as those who have many fibroids, regardless of fibroid size,” Dr. Ginsburg said.

Melvenea was nervous but reassured by her informative consultation with Dr. Ginsburg. She underwent a same-day outpatient procedure, which she was able to watch on a screen, and she was thrilled that the entire process took place through a tiny puncture in her wrist.

The procedure was quick, and after returning home, Melvenea experienced only mild achiness for a few days. The real test came with her next menstrual cycle, which started just days after the procedure.

For the first time in five years, she could go about her life normally. Just five days after the embolization, she was back to teaching.

Melvenea now wants other women with fibroids to know that a hysterectomy is not their only choice.

“If your doctor doesn’t take the time to talk to you about possible options, find another doctor. They’re making new discoveries all the time. You don’t have to settle,” she said. “To get your vitality back is priceless.”

Learn more about our team

Vascular interventional radiologists diagnose and treat diseases by using a variety of nonsurgical treatments and tests and rely on image-guided tools. Beacon’s Vascular Interventional Radiology program offers streamlined access to innovative care personalized to patient’s needs. Learn more about the care that is provided by our interventional radiology physicians and team.