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Pregnancy after uterine fibroid embolization.
João M Pisco1, Marisa Duarte, Tiago Bilhim
1Department of Radiology, St Louis Hospital, Faculty of Medical Sciences, New University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal. joao.pisco@chln.min-saude.pt
Fertility and Sterility
|September 28, 2010
Summary
Pregnancy after uterine fibroid embolization (UFE) is achievable, with over half of women conceiving. UFE offers a safe option for women desiring future pregnancies, with a high rate of successful live births.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive medicine
- Interventional radiology
- Gynecology
Background:
- Uterine fibroids are common benign tumors affecting women of reproductive age.
- Uterine fibroid embolization (UFE) is a minimally invasive procedure to treat fibroids.
- The impact of UFE on subsequent pregnancy outcomes requires further investigation.
Observation:
- A retrospective study evaluated 74 women who underwent UFE with the intention of future pregnancy.
- Polyvinyl alcohol particles or embozene microspheres were used for embolization.
- Pelvic MRI was performed before and 6 months after UFE.
Findings:
- Nearly 60% of women (44 out of 74) achieved pregnancy after UFE.
- Of the pregnancies, 88.7% were completed, resulting in a successful live birth rate of 84.6%.
- Complications included spontaneous abortions, cesarean deliveries, preterm births, and low birth weight infants.
Implications:
- UFE is a viable treatment option for women with uterine fibroids who wish to conceive.
- The findings suggest that pregnancy after UFE is generally safe and successful.
- Further research can optimize UFE protocols to improve pregnancy outcomes and reduce complications.
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