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Superior Hypogastric Nerve Block in Uterine Artery Embolisation Protocols for Symptomatic Fibroids: An Australian
Nessa Kellegher1, Jonathan Kelly1,2, Gillian Kehoe1,3
1Department of Medical Imaging and Interventional Radiology, Fiona Stanley Hospital, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
Introduction:
Assessment of the safety of Superior Hypogastric Nerve Block (SHNB) in uterine artery embolisation (UAE) for symptomatic fibroids.
Method:
Retrospective single tertiary centre analysis of patients who underwent UAE with SHNB (n = 40). Outcomes include assessment of pain scores, overnight stays and complications. A follow-up phone survey was conducted to assess the women's willingness to undergo the procedure again (n = 18).
Results:
Our cohort achieved a mean post-procedural pain score of 2.83 using SHNB and our analgesic regimen, with no complications attributed to the block. Most procedures were ambulatory, yielding a 67.5% same-day discharge rate. Although the low response rate to the follow-up survey limits generalisability of findings, 88.9% (16/18) of respondents were willing to undergo the procedure again, suggesting patient satisfaction.
Conclusion:
This study provides reassuring evidence that superior hypogastric nerve block (SHNB) during uterine artery embolisation (UAE) yields favourable analgesic outcomes and short hospital stays. Notably, no SHNB-related complications were observed.
