Uterine artery embolization (UAE) has been used for over 20 years to block the uterine arteries to halt hemorraging. In 1989, a doctor in France named Dr. Jacques-Henri Ravina used UAE to stop the blood flow to fibroids prior to performing a myomectomy (fibroid removal) to reduce blood loss during the procedure. He was surprised to find that many women then called to cancel their myomectomy appointments because the UAE had caused the fibroids to shrink, providing relief from their symptoms.
A few years later, doctors in the United States began performing the procedure. As of 2008, over 4,000 UFE procedures have been performed.