The long-term effects of embosphere microspheres or polyvinyl alcohol
particles remaining permanently in the uterine arteries or elsewhere
in women's bodies is currently unknown. It should be noted that this
"unknown" status was also used to describe the early
introduction of a number of women's treatments which proved later to
be catastrophic: diethylstilbestrol (DES) given to prevent miscarriage,
was ultimately shown not to prevent miscarriage but to lead to breast
cancer in many of the women who took it, vaginal cancers and infertility
in the daughters they gave birth to and testicular cancer and infertility
in their sons; the intrauterine device (IUD), which caused life-threatening
pelvic infection, infertility, and hysterectomy in many women; silicone
breast implants which may lead to autoimmune disease; and Thalidomide,
which caused malformed babies, born with incomplete or missing limbs.
Although the adverse effects listed have been documented in medical journals,
it should be noted that long term effects emerge over time. UAE is too new to
know what the additional long-term effects will be.
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