HIFU for uterine fibroids in Korea

Who is suitable for HIFU: fibroid size, number and position

Choosing HIFU uterine fibroids treatment starts with a scan, not a booking, because not every fibroid can be treated this way. Before treatment, the size, type and location of each fibroid are assessed by ultrasound to decide whether HIFU is suitable. HIFU is offered for fibroids up to about 12 cm in size and up to 12 fibroids in number. Subserosal fibroids that project outward from the surface of the uterus (pedunculated subserosal fibroids) are not treated with HIFU.

Symptoms matter as much as measurements. The NHS says many fibroids cause no symptoms and need no treatment, that treatment is more likely when symptoms are painful or cause heavy bleeding, and that large fibroids can press on the bladder. If you plan a pregnancy, tell us at consultation; it affects which treatment we recommend and the timing.

The criteria for who can have HIFU at Podo are on the candidates page, Is HIFU right for your fibroids?

Fibroid treatment without surgery: how HIFU compares with other options

The NHS lists the main fibroid treatments: medicines for pain and heavy bleeding; uterine artery embolization, which blocks the blood supply so fibroids shrink; and surgery, meaning myomectomy (removing the fibroids) or hysterectomy (removing the fibroids and the womb). No single treatment suits every woman: the choice depends on your symptoms, the size and position of the fibroids, whether you want a pregnancy and how much recovery time you have. Fibroid Treatment Options Compared: HIFU, Embolization, Myomectomy sets them side by side.

Fertility is where the options differ most. The studies of HIFU uterine fibroids treatment and pregnancy are fewer than for myomectomy, and their conclusions differ. A 2024 meta-analysis found pooled pregnancy and live birth rates of 23.3 and 17.3 percent after HIFU, against 56.9 and 44.1 percent after myomectomy; its authors said the quality of the HIFU studies leaves much room for improvement and that comparative trials are needed. A 2023 meta-analysis of embolization also found a lower pregnancy rate than in comparison groups. If you hope to conceive, say so early.

Uterine fibroid treatment in Korea: treatment day, recovery and flying home

HIFU treats the fibroid through the skin of the abdomen, without an incision. The treatment session usually takes one to two hours. The doctor adjusts the energy and pauses as needed throughout the treatment. After HIFU you go home the same day, following about 4 hours of observation at the clinic. Overnight stays are available in the clinic's recovery suites.

Daily activities can resume, and flying is possible, from about 3 days after HIFU, subject to the follow-up check. Follow-up scans are scheduled one week, three months, six months and one year after treatment. Follow-up scans done abroad can be sent to the clinic for review. The flight home is long: the NHS lists a journey of more than 4 hours as a risk factor for deep vein thrombosis and advises moving around every hour or so, so plan breaks as you would on any long flight.

Side effects and risks of HIFU for fibroids

HIFU can cause skin burns or heat injury on the abdomen; you are monitored throughout, and aftercare instructions are given in English. A 2024 systematic review of 60 studies and 32,448 patients pooled the side effects it found: lower abdominal pain in about 38 percent, abnormal vaginal discharge in 14.7 percent, leg numbness or tingling in 3.5 percent, vaginal bleeding in 1.7 percent, skin burns, blisters or nodules in 0.6 percent, and blood in the urine in 0.3 percent. The pain resolved with analgesics and the skin effects with conservative treatment. The authors reported very few severe complications. Fibroids can also need further treatment later, as the reintervention figures below show.

HIFU fibroid treatment cost: why there is no single price

HIFU uterine fibroids treatment is quoted after the fibroids have been measured, because their size and number set the treatment time. We do not print a figure here. You receive a written estimate in English after your scan and consultation, and prices follow the clinic's published fee list. Other items can move a quote: imaging beforehand, sedation or anesthesia, observation time, medication, and whether follow-up scans are in the same estimate.

Whether a procedure is reimbursed depends on your policy; we provide documentation, not coverage decisions. We prepare the documents international insurers typically require: an itemized English receipt, a medical certificate, procedure codes and a completed claim form. HIFU Fibroid Treatment Cost in Korea explains how to read an estimate line by line.

In this section

• Is HIFU right for your fibroids?

  Who is a HIFU fibroid candidate? Size and number limits, fibroid types, what rules HIFU out and what to send before you travel to Seoul.

• HIFU fibroid treatment cost in Korea

  HIFU fibroid treatment cost in Korea: how Podo quotes after a scan, what an estimate lists, what changes the price, US cost context and insurance.

• HIFU fibroid recovery time in Korea: follow-up scans and flying home

  HIFU fibroid recovery time: home the same day, daily activities and flying from about 3 days, follow-up scans over a year, and follow-up from abroad.

Sources

1. ACOG patient FAQ: Uterine fibroids
2. NHS: Fibroids
3. Dou et al., 2024: reintervention after HIFU for fibroids, meta-analysis (PubMed)
4. Ali et al., 2024: side effects of HIFU for fibroids, systematic review (PMC)
5. Chen et al., 2024: pregnancy after HIFU and after myomectomy, meta-analysis (PubMed)
6. Yan et al., 2023: pregnancy after uterine artery embolization, meta-analysis (PMC)
7. NHS: Deep vein thrombosis (DVT)