Embolotherapy is used in gynecology in a number of indications including post-partum hemorrhage (bleeding following giving birth), post surgical hemorrhage, cervical ectopic pregnancy (where the foetus is growing outside the womb, for example, in the fallopian tubes), and pelvic disorders.

A small but growing number of clinical centers in the US and Canada are using ovarian vein embolization to treat women with pelvic congestion syndrome. This is another new, potentially large, indication for embolotherapy in gynecology.

Pelvic pain typically strikes women between 20-50 and is caused by varicose veins in the pelvis. Blood traveling through the ovarian veins flows in the wrong direction and tends to pool in the pelvis. Using embolotherapy, interventional radiologists are able to relieve the pain caused by pelvic congestion syndrome in about 80% of the women they treat.

Because of the difficulty of diagnosing the underlying causes of chronic pelvic pain, the problem frequently goes undiagnosed and untreated, or incorrectly diagnosed and inappropriately treated. Many patients become reliant on drugs, have multiple surgeries and often have to seek psychiatric treatment.

For those suffering from chronic pelvic pain caused by pelvic congestion, there is now a definitive method of diagnosis – a venogram – and a method of treatment – ovarian vein embolization – which can be combined in a single minimally invasive surgical procedure.

A small but growing number of clinical centers in the US and Canada are using ovarian vein embolization to treat women with pelvic pain. This is another new, potentially large, indication for embolotherapy in gynecology.

Related Sites

:::	Alternatives in Gynecology: Pelvic Pain
	A gynecologist explains causes of pelvic pain. Ways of diagnosing the cause of pain are discussed.
:::	The Pelvic Pain Society
	Provides information on treating and diagnosing chronic pelvic pain to help women begin leading pelvic pain free lives.
:::	Tipped Uterus - Pain During Intercourse
	A web site providing educational information and treatment options for women experiencing pain during intercourse and/or menstruation as a result of a tipped or retroverted uterus.
:::	International Pelvic Pain Society
	A variety of pelvic pain resources for both patients and medical professionals.
:::	Answers and Articles about Pelvic and Abdominal Pain
	Frequently asked questions about pelvic and abdominal pain and causes such as ovarian cysts, endometriosis and other reproductive and general medical conditions.
:::	Chronic Pelvic Pain
	A physician-reviewed section of OBGYN.net offering articles, research, video interviews, references and other material on chronic pelvic pain for both medical professionals and women.

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