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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]

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