B. Popa 1, Monica Popiel 1, L. Gulie 1
1 Clinical Emergency Hospital, Bucharest
Abstract
Uterine leiomyoma, commonly known as fi broids, are extremely common benign lesions of the uterus, usually surgically managed when symptomatic. Th e surgical options (myomectomy or hysterectomy) are associated with signifi cant morbidity in terms of increased blood loss, duration of surgery, postoperative complications and longer hospital stay. Another alternative treatment is hormonal therapy using gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists which are primarily used as temporary preoperative measure for reducing tumour size and vascularity. Th ough this approach dramatically improves symptomatology and reduces fi broid size, these tumours re-grow to their original size within a few months of discontinuing treatment and are associated with adverse eff ects (osteoporosis, amenorrhea). Uterine artery embolization is one of the new treatment options presently available in major institutions as an alternative to hysterectomy in women wishing to preserve reproductive function. Embolization is a minimally invasive means of blocking the arteries that supply blood to the fi broids. It is a procedure that uses angiographic techniques to place a catheter into the uterine arteries. Small particles are injected into the arteries, which results in the blockage of the arteries feeding the fi broids. Uterine artery embolization is also cost-eff ective and is associated with a short hospital stay and may be an option in women with major medical illness. Th e following treatise addresses the selection of patients, contraindications, details of the procedure and available evidence with regard to safety and benefi ts of the procedure.