To print: Select File and then Print from your browser's menu

Title: Patients Who Underwent Uterine-Fibroid Embolization Report Good Quality of Life at 3 Years. Presented at SIR

"Patients Who Underwent Uterine-Fibroid Embolization Report Good Quality of Life at 3 Years. Presented at SIR"

By Ed Susman TORONTO, CANADA -- April 3, 2006 -- Quality-of-life outcomes remain persistently good 3 years following uterine-fibroid embolization therapy researchers reported here at the 31[^st annual meeting of the Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR).

"Over the long term, uterine-fibroid embolization is effective and safe, with high levels of durable symptom control, improved health-related quality of life and patient satisfaction," said James Spies, MD, professor and chairman, department of radiology, Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, DC, United States.

"In addition, uterine-fibroid embolization with trisacryl gelatin microspheres resulted in marked durable improvement in menstrual bleeding," said Dr. Spies.

In examining a primary outcome measure of the Ruta Menorrhagia Questionnaire, 57% of the 65 patients who completed the 3 year follow-up study said at baseline that they had heavy menstrual bleeding, but at 3 years, only 2% of the patients still participating in the study reported heavy bleeding.

Health-related quality of life as measured by the Short Form (SF)-12 Health Survey was similarly improved after 3 years in both the physical and mental domains. From a baseline score of 45.5 on the physical aspects of the measurement, the score post-procedure went to 53.3 at 3 months, and was maintained after 3 years, at 53.6 (P <.001). The mental SF-12 scores rose from a baseline figure of 46.3 to 53.1 after 3 years (P <.001).

Dr. Spies said that re-intervention was infrequent. Of the 102 women originally treated using uterine-fibroid embolization, 1 required another procedure in the 3 years since treatment with the minimally invasive therapy. Two other women underwent myomectomy procedures, and 5 more women had hysterectomies.

Dr. Spies noted, however, that, among the limitations of generalizing these results was the fact that about 35% of the patients who underwent embolization procedures were lost to follow-up. He noted that 64% of the patients in this study completed the long-term follow-up.

[Presentation title: Long-Term Outcome from Uterine Fibroid Embolization Using Tris-Acryl Gelatin Microspheres. Abstract 1020]

Copyright © 2009 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of P\S\L content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of P\S\L. P\S\L shall not be liable for any errors, omissions or delays in this content or any other content on its sites, newsletters or other publications, nor for any decisions or actions taken in reliance on such content.