Pregnancy after uterine fibroid embolization: follow-up of 100 patients embolized using tris-acryl gelatin microspheres.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To evaluate pregnancies in women who had previously undergone uterine fibroid embolization.

DESIGN:

Prospective study.

SETTING:

A city hospital in Spain.

PATIENT(S):

A cohort of 100 uterine fibroid embolization patients, 57 of whom wished to preserve their fertility.

INTERVENTION(S):

Uterine arteries were embolized by using 500-1,200 microm tris-acryl gelatin microspheres. After intervention, patient follow-up was performed at 1 week, 3 months, 6 months, and yearly.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S):

The number of pregnancies and course of pregnancy.

RESULT(S):

Eleven pregnancies in 10 women (19.2%). The pregnancies resulted in 8 live births, including 4 normal and 4 cesarean deliveries. Early miscarriage occurred in 3 cases (2 patients). None of the 8 newborns was a low-birth weight infant, and gestation lasted >or=37 weeks in all the patients, except for 1 case of a macrosomic fetus delivered at 33 weeks. There were no cases of abnormal placental implantation.

CONCLUSION(S):

Despite the small sample size, uterine artery embolization appears to be viable in young women who still want to become pregnant. Larger series and studies comparing uterine fibroid embolization and myomectomy are needed.

• Authors: Isabel Pinto Pabón, Javier Porras Magret, Elena Ayerbe Unzurrunzaga, Isidro Millán García, Isidoro Bruna Catalán, M Luisa Cano Vieco
• Journal: Fertility and sterility (Fertil Steril) Vol. 90 Issue 6 Pg. 2356-60 (Dec 2008) ISSN: 1556-5653 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 18339388 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Acrylic Resins
• trisacryl gelatin microspheres
• Gelatin

Topics

• Abortion, Spontaneous
• Acrylic Resins (adverse effects, therapeutic use)
• Adult
• Female
• Fertility
• Follow-Up Studies
• Gelatin (adverse effects, therapeutic use)
• Humans
• Leiomyoma (therapy)
• Live Birth
• Middle Aged
• Pregnancy
• Pregnancy Rate
• Prospective Studies
• Time Factors
• Treatment Outcome
• Uterine Artery Embolization (adverse effects, methods)
• Uterine Neoplasms (therapy)