Uterine-Artery Embolization versus Surgery for Symptomatic Uterine Fibroids

• Published in: The New England journal of medicine Vol. 356; no. 4; pp. 360 - 370
• Main Authors: Edwards, Richard D, Moss, Jonathan G, Lumsden, Mary Ann, Wu, Olivia, Murray, Lilian S, Twaddle, Sara, Murray, Gordon D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston, MA Massachusetts Medical Society 25.01.2007
• Subjects: Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Embolization, Therapeutic - adverse effects; Embolization, Therapeutic - economics; Female; Female genital diseases; Fibroids; Follow-Up Studies; General aspects; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Humans; Hysterectomy; Hysterectomy - economics; Leiomyoma - surgery; Leiomyoma - therapy; Length of Stay; Medical sciences; NMR; Nuclear magnetic resonance; Postoperative Complications; Quality of Life; Reoperation; Reproductive system; Treatment Failure; Tumors; Uterine Neoplasms - surgery; Uterine Neoplasms - therapy; Womens health; United Kingdom > UK; United States > US; Medicine; Symptomatology; Surgery; Uterine diseases; Instrumentation therapy; Embolization; Uterine leiomyoma; Benign neoplasm; Uterine artery; Comparative study; Female genital diseases
• ISSN: 0028-4793; 1533-4406
• DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa062003

In this multicenter, randomized trial of outcomes of uterine-artery embolization versus surgery for symptomatic fibroids, there were no differences between groups in quality of life at 1 year. Women who underwent embolization had a shorter duration of hospitalization and a shorter interval until the resumption of normal activities but were more likely to require rehospitalization for adverse outcomes or to need reintervention owing to treatment failure. Women who underwent embolization had a shorter duration of hospitalization but were more likely to require rehospitalization for adverse outcomes or to need reintervention owing to treatment failure. Uterine fibroids are the most common type of tumor in the female reproductive system. The presence of these tumors may cause menstrual disorder and can be associated with subfertility, miscarriage, and pressure effects. 1 For women who no longer plan to give birth, the established treatment is hysterectomy. In the United Kingdom, approximately 42,500 hysterectomies are performed annually, with approximately 30% indicated for fibroids (the second-most-frequent indication). 2 For women wishing to maintain their fertility, myomectomy is the principal option. Uterine-artery embolization was introduced in 1995 as an alternative technique for treating fibroids. 3 Since then it has become increasingly accepted as a . . .