Skip to main content
Log in

Pregnancy Following Uterine Artery Embolization with Polyvinyl Alcohol Particles for Patients with Uterine Fibroid or Adenomyosis

  • Clinical Investigations
  • Published:
CardioVascular and Interventional Radiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose:

To determine whether uterine fibroid embolization (UFE) with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) particles affects fertility in women desiring future pregnancy.

Methods:

Of 288 patients managed with UFE with PVA particles for uterine myoma or adenomyosis between 1998 and 2001, 94 patients were enrolled in this study. The age range of participants was 20–40 years. The data were collected through review of medical records and telephone interviews. Mean duration of follow-up duration was 35 months (range 22–60 months). Patients using contraception and single women were excluded, and the chance of infertility caused by possible spousal infertility or other factors was disregarded. Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging was performed in all patients before and after UFE, and the size of PVA particles used was 255–700 μm.

Results:

Among 94 patients who underwent UFE with PVA, 74 were on contraceptives, 6 had been single until the point of interview, and 8 were lost to follow-up. Of the remaining 6 patients who desired future pregnancy, 5 (83%) succeeded in becoming pregnant (1 patient became pregnant twice). Of a total of 8 pregnancies, 6 were planned pregnancies and 2 occurred after contraception failed. Five deliveries were vaginal, and 2 were by elective cesarean. Artificial abortion was performed in 1 case of unplanned pregnancy. There was 1 case of premature rupture of membrane (PROM) followed by preterm labor and delivery of an infant who was small-for-gestational-age. After UFE, mean volume reduction rates of the uterus and fibroid were 36.6% (range 0 to 62.6%) and 69.3% (range 36.3% to 93.3%), respectively.

Conclusion:

Although the absolute number of cases was small, UFE with PVA particles ultimately did not affect fertility in the women who underwent the procedure.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Figure 1A, B
Figure 2A–D

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. JH Ravina D Herbreteau N Ciraru-Vigneron et al. (1995) ArticleTitleArterial embolization to treat uterine myomata Lancet 346 671–672 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DyaK2MzoslOksA%3D%3D Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0140-6736(95)92282-2 Occurrence Handle7544859

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. RL Worthington-Kirsch GL Popky FL Hutchins (1998) ArticleTitleUterine arterial embolization for the management of leiomyomas: Quality-of-life assessment and clinical response Radiology 208 625–629 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DyaK1czptVSlsA%3D%3D Occurrence Handle10.1148/radiology.208.3.9722838 Occurrence Handle9722838

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. SC Goodwin WJ Walker (1998) ArticleTitleUterine artery embolization for the treatment of uterine fibroids Curr Opin Obstet Gynecol 10 315–320 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DyaK1czos1emsA%3D%3D Occurrence Handle10.1097/00001703-199808000-00006 Occurrence Handle9719883

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. JH Ravina NC Vigneron A Aymard O Le Dref JJ Merland (2000) ArticleTitlePregnancy after embolization of uterine myoma: Report of 12 cases Fertil Steril 73 1241–1243 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DC%2BD3czhsF2ntw%3D%3D Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0015-0282(00)00497-0 Occurrence Handle10856491

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Katz RN, Mitty HA, Stancato-Pasik A, Cooper JM, Ahn J (1998) Comparison of uterine artery embolization for fibroids using gelatine sponge-pledgets and polyvinyl alcohol (abstract). J Vasc Interv Radiol 9:194

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Goodwin SC, Chen G (1998) Uterine artery embolization for uterine fibroids. Contemp Rev Obstet Gynecol 10:217–221

    Google Scholar 

  7. Walker WJ, Pelage JP (2002) Uterine artery embolisation for symptomatic fibroids: Clinical results in 400 women with imaging follow up. Br J Obstet Gynecol 109:1262–1272

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. JB Spies SA Ascher AR Roth J Kim EB Levy J Gomez-Jorge (2001) ArticleTitleUterine artery embolization for leiomyomata Obstet Gynecol 98 29–34 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DC%2BD3MznsVanug%3D%3D Occurrence Handle11430952

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Goodwin SC, McLucas B, Lee M, et al (1999) Uterine artery embolization for the treatment of uterine leiomyomata: Midterm results. J Vasc Interv Radiol 10:1159–1165

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. GP Siskin ME Tublin BF Stainken K Dowling EG Dolen (2001) ArticleTitleUterine artery embolization for the treatment of adenomyosis: Clinical response and evaluation with MR imaging AJR Am J Roentgenol 177 297–302 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DC%2BD3MvhtF2gug%3D%3D Occurrence Handle10.2214/ajr.177.2.1770297 Occurrence Handle11461849

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. RC Jha J Takahama I Imaoka et al. (2003) ArticleTitleAdenomyosis: MRI of the uterus treated with uterine artery embolization AJR Am J Roentgenol 181 851–856 Occurrence Handle10.2214/ajr.181.3.1810851 Occurrence Handle12933493

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Kim MD, Won JW, Lee DY, Ahn CS (2004) Uterine artery embolization for adenomyosis without fibroids. Clin Radiol 59:520–526

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. SC Goodwin S Vedantham B McLucas AE Forno R Perrella (1997) ArticleTitlePreliminary experience with uterine artery embolization for uterine fibroids J Vasc Interv Radiol 8 517–526 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DyaK2szns1Cmtw%3D%3D Occurrence Handle10.1016/S1051-0443(97)70603-1 Occurrence Handle9232565

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Spies JB, Scialli AR, Jha RC, et al. (1999) Initial results from uterine fibroid embolization for symptomatic leiomyomata. J Vasc Interv Radiol 10:1149–1157

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. A Stancato-Pasik HA Mitty HM Richard Suffix3rd N Eshkar (1997) ArticleTitleObstetric embolotherapy: Effect on menses and pregnancy Radiology 204 791–793 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DyaK2svisVeguw%3D%3D Occurrence Handle10.1148/radiology.204.3.9280261 Occurrence Handle9280261

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. JP Pelage O Le Dref J Mateo et al. (1998) ArticleTitleLife-threatening primary postpartum hemorrhage: Treatment with emergency selective arterial embolization Radiology 208 359–362 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DyaK1czksFGisg%3D%3D Occurrence Handle10.1148/radiology.208.2.9680559 Occurrence Handle9680559

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. T Katsumori K Nakajima T Mihara M Tokuhiro (2002) ArticleTitleUterine artery embolization using gelatin sponge particles alone for symptomatic uterine fibroids: Midterm results AJR Am J Roentgenol 178 135–139 Occurrence Handle10.2214/ajr.178.1.1780135 Occurrence Handle11756107

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. EI Garner M Meyerovitz DP Goldstein RS Berkowitz (2003) ArticleTitleSuccessful term pregnancy after selective arterial embolization of symptomatic arteriovenous malformation in the setting of gestation trophoblastic tumor Gynecol Oncol 88 69–72 Occurrence Handle10.1006/gyno.2002.6861 Occurrence Handle12504631

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. WF Mengert RC Bruchell RW Blumstein JL Daskal (1969) ArticleTitlePregnancy after bilateral ligation of the internal iliac and ovarian arteries Obstet Gynecol 34 664–666 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DyaE3c%2FislKmsg%3D%3D Occurrence Handle5348670

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. G Pron E Mocarski J Bennett G Vilos A Common L Vanderburgh et al. (2005) ArticleTitlePregnancy after uterine artery embolization for leiomyomata: The Ontario Multicenter Trial Obstet Gynecol 105 67–76 Occurrence Handle10.1097/01.AOG.0000149156.07061.1f Occurrence Handle15625144

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. W Poppe FA Assche ParticleVan G Wilims A Favril A Baert (1987) ArticleTitlePregnancy after transcatheter embolization of a uterine arteriovenous malformation Am J Obstet Gynecol 156 1179–1180 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DyaL2s3htVChtg%3D%3D Occurrence Handle10.1016/0002-9378(87)90136-0 Occurrence Handle3578434

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Man Deuk Kim.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kim, M.D., Kim, N.K., Kim, H.J. et al. Pregnancy Following Uterine Artery Embolization with Polyvinyl Alcohol Particles for Patients with Uterine Fibroid or Adenomyosis. Cardiovasc Intervent Radiol 28, 611–615 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00270-004-8236-3

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00270-004-8236-3

Keywords

Navigation