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Uterine Fibroid Embolisation as Effective as Myomectomy, With Shorter Recovery Time: Presented at SIR

By M.M. Pennell

PHOENIX, ARIZONA -- March 29, 2004 -- Uterine fibroid embolism (UFE) and myomectomy both significantly reduced fibroid symptoms and improved quality of life (QOL) measures in a comparison study, but women who underwent UFE had much shorter hospitalisation time and quicker recovery than women treated surgically.

Lead investigator John C. Lipman, MD, FSCVIR, medical director, Center for Minimally Invasive Therapy, Atlanta, Georgia, United States, said 75% of myomectomy patients recorded improved QOL scores after the procedure, as did 81.2% of the UFE-treated women. The study was presented at the 29^th Annual Meeting of the Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR).

Dr. Lipman's study enrolled 149 women treated with UFE and 60 women who opted for surgery. The UFE women underwent embolisation with Boston Scientific's polyvinyl acetate (PVA)-particle system.

At 6 months, the women in the UFE arm had bleeding scores reduced by 55.2%, while in the myomectomy arm bleeding scores dropped by 46.1%.

Significant differences were recorded for hospitalisation, however; 1 day was required for UFE patients versus 2.5 days for myomectomy patients. Recovery for UFE was 15 days, compared to an average of 44 days for surgical patients.

Dr. Lipman emphasised that "this is a procedure that is performed by interventional radiologists, not by gynaecologists -- and that message has to get out to women."

On January 30, 2004, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists issued a new opinion about UFE, which may indicate a "softening" of the ACOG stance, said Dr. Robert Vogelzang, MD, professor of radiology, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States. "[ACOG] no longer use the term experimental," he noted, "and that's a good sign."

The ACOG statement, however, does urge women to first undergo a complete assessment by an obstetrician-gynaecologist before seeking treatment from an interventional radiologist.


[Study Title: Uterine Artery Embolization vs. Myomectomy: A prospective trial. Abstract 15]

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