Fibroid treatment options — including one that doesn't require surgery.
Board-certified fibroid specialist. Outpatient. Your uterus stays intact.
Request an appointment
or call (310) 409 4114
The fibroid doctor personally reviews your imaging before recommending anything.
The symptoms that bring most women here
What women experience after fibroid embolization
Keep your uterus. Skip the fibroid surgery. Get back to your life.
Spies et al., Obstet Gynecol 2005
back to work for some women, using our method and pain protocol
Recovery varies with fibroid number and size
embolizations performed by our fibroid specialist
Five ways fibroids are treated
Every option is laid out the same way — what it is, what happens to your fibroid uterus, recovery, who it fits, and who it doesn’t. Including the cases where our fibroid procedure isn’t the right answer.
Surgical Hysterectomy Removes the uterus entirely
Surgical Myomectomy Removes fibroids, keeps the uterus
Surgical Radiofrequency ablation Heats and shrinks fibroids surgically
Non-surgical · what we specialize in Uterine fibroid embolization Cuts off fibroid blood supply — no surgery
• want to keep their uterus
• have multiple fibroids, or large ones
• were told hysterectomy was their only option
• want to avoid surgery, general anesthesia and a long recovery
• can't afford weeks away from work or family
• have already tried medication without relief
Non-procedural Medication and monitoring Manages symptoms without treating the fibroids
Side by side
| Hysterectomy | Myomectomy | Ablation | Embolization | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recovery time | 6–8 weeks | Days–6 weeks | ~1 week | ~1 week |
| Uterus preserved | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Anesthesia | General | General | General | Local + IV sedation |
| Treats all fibroids at once | Yes | No — one at a time | No — one at a time | Yes |
| Hospital stay | 1–2 days | Often overnight | Usually none | None — home same day |
Simplified for clarity. See the full referenced comparison chart →
The doctor performs your procedure — and your appointment
Atabak Allaei, MD
Interventional radiology is the only specialty in medicine trained specifically to perform embolization. It’s not a sideline here — it’s the entire practice.
"Fibroid embolization is done through a pinhole, guided entirely by X-ray — a flat image of a three-dimensional vascular tree. Holding that anatomy in your head while you steer a catheter through it is a skill that experience sharpens but can't manufacture. It's why I do every case myself."
Every appointment is with the doctor. Not a physician assistant, not a nurse practitioner, not a rotating provider. Clinical decisions here are made by the physician who will perform your procedure — with no outside influence on your care, and no pressure to move you through a schedule.
Women who were told hysterectomy was the only option
Adenomyosis successfully treated by Dr Allaei, saved from hysterectomy.
RN with over 30 fibroids successfully treated by Dr Allaei.
17 cm fibroid successfully treated by Dr Allaei with UFE.
Straight answers before you call
Is it covered by insurance?
Yes — uterine fibroid embolization is covered by Medicare and all PPO insurance plans. Our team verifies your benefits before anything is scheduled, so you know exactly where you stand before you commit to anything.
Does it hurt?
This is where our practice differs. We use our own proprietary technique and pain-management protocol, developed specifically to minimize discomfort during and after the procedure. The procedure itself is done under local anesthetic with moderate IV sedation — you’re comfortable throughout, and you avoid general anesthesia entirely. Our protocol is also what drives the fast recovery our patients report.
Can I still get pregnant?
Your uterus is preserved and left intact — nothing is removed and nothing is cut. There are many reports of successful pregnancies after embolization. If pregnancy is part of your plan, bring it up at your appointment so the doctor can review your imaging with that specifically in mind. By contrast, a hysterectomy ends fertility permanently.
How long until I'm back at work?
Faster than most women expect, because of our proprietary method and pain protocol. Some women are back in one to two days; others take five to seven days. What determines it is the number and size of your fibroids — which the doctor can tell you after reviewing your imaging. Either way there’s no hospital stay and no surgical incision, compared with six to eight weeks after a hysterectomy.
Not ready to book? Start with your insurance.
Send us your carrier and we’ll verify your fibroid treatment benefits and come back to you with what’s covered — no appointment required, no obligation.
Three locations — or see the doctor by video
From anywhere — out of town, out of state, or international
Travelling in for treatment? Many of our patients come from outside Southern California — other states and other countries included. Your appointment and imaging review happen by video, so you only travel once, for the procedure itself. Schedule with the fibroid expert near you.
Request an appointment
or call (310) 409 4114
