Transvaginal radiofrequency thermal ablation: a day-care approach to symptomatic uterine myomas

In patients with myoma, the traditional surgical treatment of choice is myomectomy for women who wish to retain their uterus. However, myomectomy must be performed under general anaesthesia, and the patient requires a long time to recover.

In the present study, we report our experience with a group of patients who underwent transvaginal radiofrequency (RF) thermal ablation of uterine myomas, with emphasis on the safety and efficacy of this procedure.

Premenopausal women with symptomatic uterine myoma or recently growing myoma were included in this study. The pre- and postoperative myoma volumes were measured by 3D ultrasonography. The impact of the symptoms on health-related quality of life (HRQL) was assessed using the Uterine Fibroids Symptom and Quality of Life questionnaire.

The mean initial size of the dominant myoma was 5.3 cm (standard deviation +/- 1.58). The reoperation rate was 4.3%. The final reduction rate of the volume of the dominant fibroid was 73%. The symptom scores and HRQL scores showed great improvement after 18 months of myolysis.

The results of this study suggest that RF ablation may represent a safe, well-tolerated, and effective day-care alternative to conventional surgery for the treatment of uterine myomas.