Fibroid embolization.

The most common surgical treatment for fibroids is hysterectomy and approximately 30,000 are carried out annually in the UK for this condition. The operation, however, carries a significant complication rate. Since the first case was carried out in 1989 there has been increasing interest in the interventional radiological procedure called fibroid embolization where angiographic techniques are used to occlude the vascular supply of fibroids. This article is a review of the world experience of fibroid embolization, its development, techniques, indications, results and complications. So far evidence indicates very promising mid-term results but more long-term comprehensive data is needed from large trials. (c) 2002 The Royal College of Radiologists.