Prior to having my coils inserted, I was advised that ovarian vein embolization is an irreversible procedure ie. the coils are unable to be removed from the vein following embolisation. I'm now in the process of looking into having my coils removed, and have been advised that this is possible and would be performed via a oophorectomy (surgical removal of the ovary).
I've also found a number of cases where the coils have successfully been removed from the body:
Removal of pelvic vein coils by a patient in the UK
This article discusses a patient in the UK who experienced severe pain after a pelvic vein embolization. She had surgery to have most of the coils removed, and is now hoping to travel to Germany to have further surgery to treat the damaged veins.
Removal of coils along with the ovaryThere have been instances where the coils have been removed WITH the ovarian vein during gynaecological surgery, for example as part of an oophorectomy (surgical removal of ovary). This is a more complicated procedure as, unlike the Ovarian Vein Embolization requires a general anaesthetic and has greater risks and implications associated with it.
I've also found a number of cases where the coils have successfully been removed from the body:
Removal of pelvic vein coils by a patient in the UK
This article discusses a patient in the UK who experienced severe pain after a pelvic vein embolization. She had surgery to have most of the coils removed, and is now hoping to travel to Germany to have further surgery to treat the damaged veins.
Removal of coils along with the ovaryThere have been instances where the coils have been removed WITH the ovarian vein during gynaecological surgery, for example as part of an oophorectomy (surgical removal of ovary). This is a more complicated procedure as, unlike the Ovarian Vein Embolization requires a general anaesthetic and has greater risks and implications associated with it.
A couple of cases of coil removal via oophorectomy that have been documented:
- Coil removal due to nickel allergy. The procedure involved “surgical removal of the coils and hysterectomy with salpingo-oophorectomy” [after which] “all her symptoms resolved.”
- Coil removal was requested by the two patients in Australia due to the embolisation procedure offering no relief to their initial symptoms. Laparoscopic surgery was successfully performed in both cases to remove the ovarian vein coils.
Male varicocele coil removal
There is a fantastic website written by a male patient who had a varicocele embolization in 2008. In 2016 he underwent laproscopic surgery to have the coils successfully removed. The writer describes the symptoms he experienced with the coils, the surgery to have the coils removed (including a video), and the positive effects of the coil-removal surgery.
Disclaimer: This site doesn't provide medical advice, so please consult your specialist with any questions regarding vein embolization.
