Say goodbye to surgery
Dr Kurt Gabriel helping J’can women to reclaim their lives with game-changing fibroid treatment
Published:Sunday | November 3, 2024 | 12:10 AMJanet Silvera - Sunday Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
While many Jamaican women have faced the difficult decision to undergo hysterectomies due to debilitating non-cancerous fibroids, a doctor at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) is offering new hope through a transformative procedure known as uterine fibroid embolisation (UFE).
Dr Kurt Gabriel, an interventional radiologist, has introduced this minimally invasive procedure as an alternative to traditional surgeries such as myomectomy (surgery to remove uterine fibroids) and hysterectomy (surgery to remove the uterus), which have often been the only options available to women on the island.
While the technique has been used successfully worldwide, it is new to Jamaica.
“Uterine fibroid embolisation involves targeting the uterine arteries that supply blood to fibroids and carefully blocking them. It’s similar to treating the roots of a tree,” Gabriel explained to The Sunday Gleaner.
“By cutting off the blood supply, we shrink the fibroids and significantly improve the patient’s quality of life.”
The procedure offers women relief from heavy bleeding, painful pressure, and other fibroid-related symptoms, with a much shorter recovery time compared to conventional surgeries.
Gabriel’s journey to bringing this advanced treatment to Jamaica began with his medical studies at The University of the West Indies, Mona, where he graduated in 2011. He further honed his skills in interventional radiology through fellowships in Birmingham, England, and Singapore.
Now, he performs UFE exclusively at the UHWI, serving both public and private patients. The hospital’s state-of-the-art interventional radiology suite, commissioned in 2019, is among the busiest in the region, offering a wide range of advanced procedures.
Gabriel is the only interventional radiologist in Jamaica who performs uterine fibroid embolisations regularly, though visiting doctors from the UK and Canada occasionally offer similar procedures. In the two years since he began offering the procedure, he has treated a diverse group of patients, including referrals from the Caribbean and Jamaican women living abroad. His reputation has also attracted patients from the Turks and Caicos Islands, Canada, and beyond, many of whom return to Jamaica specifically to benefit from his expertise.
UFE is considered a minimally invasive procedure, typically requiring only a small incision in the groin. Patients remain awake during the procedure and experience only mild discomfort, often able to return to normal activities within a week.
“The recovery is remarkably quick, compared to myomectomy or hysterectomy, and most patients are back to work within seven to 10 days,” Gabriel noted. “In fact, some have returned to the gym just a week after the procedure.”
Fibroids are a widespread concern, affecting approximately 80 per cent of women by age 50, and disproportionately impacting those of African descent. Beyond heavy menstrual bleeding, fibroids can cause intense pressure on the bladder or bowel and even lead to fertility issues.
Gabriel’s procedure has achieved a patient satisfaction rate of over 95 per cent, with significant reductions in both symptom severity and fibroid size. He emphasises that his team’s meticulous approach is crucial for successful outcomes.
“We ensure a comfortable experience, even playing calming music in the suite. The procedure usually takes about an hour, and after an overnight stay, most patients are ready to go home the next day,” he said.
Through his efforts, he is not only expanding treatment options for women with fibroids in Jamaica, but also elevating the standard of interventional radiology in the Caribbean. His dedication to providing advanced, minimally invasive treatments has given countless women the chance to reclaim their lives without the physical and emotional toll of more invasive surgeries.
Among the many patients whose lives have been transformed by his work is Patrice Thelwell-Munroe, a Montego Bay-based doctor who was diagnosed with fibroids more than five years ago.
Initially symptom-free, she began experiencing menometrorrhagia – or abnormal uterine bleeding – as she entered perimenopause.
“I had treated many Jamaican women over the years who suffered from the same condition, but to have a first-hand experience was not only humbling, but ignited a greater interest in exploring less invasive treatments,” she said.
Munroe’s condition began to severely impact both her personal and professional life, prompting her to seek uterine artery embolisation (UAE). Largely used iterchangeably, more specifically a UFE is a type of UAE.
According to Munroe, many women with severe and debilitating symptoms of uterine fibroids are sometimes encouraged and/or choose to undergo hysterectomies or myomectomies not knowing that there is an alternative available in Jamaica.
“It is vital that there is more awareness created for the benefits of UAE in Jamaica as approximately one in every four women over the age of 35 have been diagnosed with uterine fibroids and experience severe symptoms such as prolonged bleeding up to weeks and sometimes months. Many develop anaemia and other complications that will require hospitalisation and surgical intervention,” she stated.
Munroe advises women of childbearing age with severe fibroid symptoms to consider UAE as an option to retain their uterus.
“Within a few days post procedure, my symptoms showed significant resolution with the added benefit of a shorter recovery period, plus having all my reproductive organs left intact,” she told The Sunday Gleaner.
Reflecting on her experience, Munroe expressed her wish for similar interventional radiology suites across the island to broaden access to UAE.
“If more facilities are made available, combined with well-trained medical personnel, countless Jamaican women could have easier access to care and treatment through UAE,” she reasoned.
A number of other women who have opted for UAE told The Sunday Gleaner that they had several fibroids before Gabriel’s intervention.
“I have had no pain during my period and no heavy flow. I can now wear one sanitary pad for an entire day. It has been a great journey,” 48-year-old patient Loma Grey said in her testimonial.
Her non-invasive procedure was done in July 2023.
Sheena Francis, a university lecturer, had her procedure in February 2024. She had known about her fibroids for years and dealt with severe anaemia.
“One day I felt really faint and I went to my doctor, who, after tests, said my blood count was very low,” she recalled.
She added that throughout her adult life, she would always have flooding, draining off the sanitary napkins and down her leg, but she thought it was normal.
After having a few embarrassing moments, she refused to leave home out of fear of further embarrassment. On the first day of her menses, she would go through 14 night-time maxi pads, and she still thought it was normal.
“I had been going to my gynaecologist for many years, but he never associated my anaemia with the fibroids. [He] just kept telling me they were getting bigger,” said Francis.
When told she needed a hysterectomy, Francis refused.
“I felt hurt like my body was betraying me.”
After being introduced to Dr Gabriel, she spent just one day in the hospital and now uses only a box of maxi pads each month.
“I am glad to spread the good news about Dr Gabriel and I am happy I took so long to get the myomectomy that was suggested to me.”