Side by side in medicine, a father and daughter help shape a rare breakthrough

TAMPA, Fla. — In a procedure room at AdventHealth Carrollwood, Dr. Glenn Stambo stood focused on a complex case.

Nearby, watching closely, was someone who had spent years learning from him — not just in medicine, but in life.

His daughter.

Nicole Stambo, a second-year medical student, had come to shadow her father as he treated a patient with an exceptionally rare condition.

What unfolded that day would shape both of their paths and lead to a contribution now published in a peer-reviewed international journal.

The patient’s case was unlike most.

A 41-year-old woman was experiencing severe symptoms from uterine fibroids. But her condition involved an added layer of complexity. She was born with uterus didelphys, meaning she had two separate uterine cavities.

Fibroids had developed in both, leaving traditional surgical options like hysterectomy off the table.

Hysterectomy remains the most common treatment for fibroids in the United States, with approximately 600,000 procedures performed each year.

A less invasive option, uterine fibroid embolization (UFE), is used far less often and had not been widely documented in a case like this.

Dr. Stambo and his team developed a different approach.

Using a newly designed specialized catheter, they performed a uterine fibroid embolization tailored to the patient’s unique anatomy.

Because of the rarity of her condition, the procedure is believed to be the first of its kind.

For Nicole Stambo, the experience went far beyond observation.

Seeing the procedure firsthand sparked a deeper curiosity. She took the initiative to document the case and worked to transform it into a formal research paper.

That work became “Uterine Fibroid Embolization in Patient With Symptomatic Uterine Leiomyomas in Uterine Didelphys,” published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Clinical Gynecology & Obstetrics.

The moment carried professional significance, but for Dr. Stambo, it was something more personal.

“I have been so proud watching my daughter throughout her education and training,” Dr. Stambo said. “Actually having her in my lab and seeing her published in an international journal is an amazing gift and quite an achievement.”

Their work adds to the growing body of knowledge around treating rare uterine conditions. It also offers another potential option for patients who may not be candidates for traditional surgery.

The story reflects the kind of learning environment found across AdventHealth, where experienced physicians mentor the next generation and innovation is driven by both curiosity and compassion.

And for this father and daughter, it ended up showing them both how moments in clinical care can lead to a broader impact and can shape how future patients are treated.

The Journal of Clinical Gynecology and Obstetrics is an international, open-access, peer-reviewed journal, publishing original contributions describing basic research and clinical investigation of gynecology and obstetrics, on the cellular, molecular, prevention, diagnosis, translational gynecology and obstetrics, therapy and prognosis aspects.