Fibroids treated by uterine artery embolization. A review.

An increasing number of reports indicate that uterine fibroids can be successfully treated with uterine artery embolization (UAE). UAE seems to be a promising treatment for women who want to retain their uterus. This review summarizes the technical considerations and the results. UAE is a radiological procedure using angiography for visualization of the blood circulation. Subsequently, the flow through the uterine arteries is blocked resulting in infarction of fibroids. Success rates of 87% have been achieved with an average 57% reduction of fibroid volume. Complications have been few compared to hysterectomy and patient satisfaction is high. However, none of the reports include controls. Further studies are needed to optimize patient selection and to evaluate long-term results.