Thirty-Day Healthcare Encounters after Elective Uterine Artery Embolization for Fibroids with and without Superior...

To evaluate how the implementation of superior hypogastric nerve block (SHNB) during uterine artery embolization (UAE) for uterine fibroids impacts same-day discharge and healthcare encounters (HCEs) within 30 days.

A total of 240 patients who underwent successful UAE for fibroids between January 2018 and December 2022 were retrospectively reviewed. HCEs within 30 days, including emergency department and urgent care visits, admissions, and readmissions, were categorized as early (0-7 days of discharge) and late (8-30 days of discharge) and related or unrelated to interventional radiology (IR) care. Factors associated with same-day discharge and HCE were identified using univariate analyses. Rates of HCE based on SHNB status were compared using the chi-square tests.

The mean age of the patients was 46 years (SD ± 5); 125 patients received UAE with SHNB. Patients who underwent SHNB were significantly more likely to undergo same-day discharge (113/125, 90%) than those without SHNB (55/115, 48%) (P < .001). No factors were associated with rates of all-cause 30-day HCE, including SHNB status (SHNB, 17% [21/125], versus no SHNB, 10% [12/115]; P = .20). A majority of HCEs were due to an IR-related cause (26/33, 79%), including abdominal or pelvic pain (22/33, 67%); nausea, vomiting, or poor oral intake (18/33, 55%); and vaginal bleeding (4/33, 12%). Comparison of patients who underwent SHNB with those without SHNB showed no difference in the proportion of IR-related HCE (17/21 [81%] versus 9/12 [75%], P = .69).

UAE with SHNB was associated with significantly higher rates of same-day discharge but similar rates of 30-day HCEs compared with UAE alone.