Minimally Invasive Treatment of Uterine Fibroids by Uterine Artery Embolization

Uterine Artery Embolisation (UAE) is an emerging minimally invasive technology for reducing symptoms from uterine fibroids. It has been proposed as a less invasive alternative to current treatment for these common, benign, uterine tumors called fibroids. No adequate data exists for long term out comes of UAE, such as recurrence of myoma, premature menopause or improvement of quality-of-life indices. Complication rates also appear similar to other procedures. Short term rate of re-operation (i.e., hysterectomy following UAE or surgery to repair intestinal injury) appears higher after UAE (approximately 5% for UAE and 1% or less for hysterectomy and myomectomy). Rate of postoperative wound infection, fever, thromboembolic events, do not appear to differ significantly, among the current three treatments i.e., UAE, hysterectomy and myomectomy.