The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday examined uterine artery embolization, a less-invasive alternative to hysterectomy for the treatment of uterine fibroid tumors. Although the procedure -- which uses small polyvinyl particles to cut off the blood supply to fibroid tumors -- is "growing in popularity," many gynecologists still "remain silent" about the procedure, according to the Journal. Approximately 50% of all women develop uterine fibroids, half of whom experience symptoms such as pain or excessive bleeding and require treatment. Hysterectomy is the typical treatment for women with uterine fibroids who are not planning on giving birth; although the complication rate for the procedure is "very low," research has linked the procedure -- a "major operation" requiring general anesthesia -- to increased risks of depression, sexual dysfunction, weight gain, high blood pressure and premature menopause. UAE -- which involves a small abdominal incision and local anesthesia -- has a lower rate of complications and requires less recovery time than hysterectomy and is usually covered by health insurance. However, some gynecologists fail to tell their patients about UAE, possibly because the procedure is performed by interventional radiologists and not gynecologists; therefore, gynecologists -- who perform hysterectomies -- fail to earn the approximately $2,000 fee they might have earned when a patient chooses UAE instead of hysterectomy, according to the Journal (Helliker/Etter, Wall Street Journal, 8/24).