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Treatment of Uterine Myomas by Radiofrequency Thermal Ablation: A 10-Year Retrospective Cohort Study

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Abstract

Patients’ selection criteria, effectiveness, and safety of radiofrequency thermal ablation (RFTA) therapy for uterine myomas (UM) were assessed using a 10-year retrospective cohort study. From July 2001 to July 2011, a total of 1216 patients treated for UM were divided into 2 groups. Group A consisted of 476 premenopause patients, average age 36.5 ± 8.5 years, average number of myomas 1.7 ± 0.9, and average diameter of myomas 4.5 ± 1.5 cm, and group B consisted of 740 menopause patients, average age 48.5 ± 3.5 years, average number of myomas 2.6 ± 1.3, and average diameter of myomas 5.0 ± 2.5 cm. Average follow-up period was 36.5 ± 11.5 months. At 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 months after RFTA, average diameters of myomas in group A were 3.8, 3.0, 2.7, 2.4, and 2.2 cm, respectively, and 47.7% (227 of 476) of patients had tumor trace at 12 months after RFTA. In group B, the results were 4.7, 3.7, 3.3, 2.3, and 2.3 cm, respectively, and 58.8% (435 of 740) of patients had tumor trace at 12 months after RFTA. Three months after treatment, myoma volumes were significantly reduced in both the groups (P < .01), and group B had higher rate of tumor trace at 12 months after RFTA than group A (P < .05). Clinical symptoms and health-related quality-of-life outcome (HRQL) were significantly improved after RFTA in both groups and the postoperative recurrence rate of UM was significantly higher in group A at 10.7% (51 of 476) than group B at 2.4% (18 of 740; P < .05). Radiofrequency thermal ablation is an excellent minimally invasive treatment for UM smaller than 5.0 cm in diameter.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Jinan Military General Hospital, #25 Shifan Road, 250031, Jinan, China

    Geping Yin MD, Ming Chen MM, Shujun Yang MM, Juan Li MD, Tongyu Zhu MM & Xiaoli Zhao MD

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  1. Geping Yin MD
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  2. Ming Chen MM
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  3. Shujun Yang MM
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  4. Juan Li MD
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  6. Xiaoli Zhao MD
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Correspondence to Geping Yin MD.

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Yin, G., Chen, M., Yang, S. et al. Treatment of Uterine Myomas by Radiofrequency Thermal Ablation: A 10-Year Retrospective Cohort Study. Reprod. Sci. 22, 609–614 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1177/1933719114556481

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