Long-term follow up after uterine artery embolization for symptomatic uterine leiomyomas

Uterine artery embolization is one of the established treatment options for symptomatic uterine leiomyomas, with a proven effect on the size of leiomyomas and providing short-term relief of symptoms. Only few studies have addressed long-term satisfaction with the treatment. We conducted a historical cohort study of 96 patients. The patients were treated at a median age of 43years (range 23-59years). The median size of the largest myoma was 69mm (range 20-170mm). By use of a postal questionnaire (response rate 86%) and audit of patient files, we found that 53% reported full recovery of symptoms and 36% some effect on symptoms after a median of 8.9years (range 8-9.4years). Overall, 25% of the women reported a need for further treatment. The rate of eventual hysterectomy was 22%. We confirm that uterine artery embolization is a safe and well-tolerated procedure with a high long-term satisfaction rate.