Objective: To prospectively compare the effectiveness and safety of the two modalities of uterine arteries occlusion (laparoscopy versus embolization.); as a treatment of symptomatizing uterine fibroids; together with clinical outcome after 6 and 12 months follow up.
Methods: Seventy-six consecutive premenopausal women with symptomatic uterine leiomyomata; non of them desired any further pregnancy. They were randomized to treatment either with laparoscopic occlusion or by radiologic embolization of uterine arteries. The primary outcome was reduction of blood loss from prelreatment to 6 and 12 months postoperatively, as measured by the patients own assessment (subjective). Secondary outcomes included, postoperative pain, complications, secondary interventions, and failures.
Results: Seventy women were included in two groups; 36 and 12-month follow-up data were available for all the patients in each group. The percentage reduction in bleeding assessment did not differe between the treatment groups (88.90% after laparoscopic uterine arteries occlusion versus 88.51% after embolization. P-0.48). Fewer participants in the two groups complained of heavy bleeding after 12 months (8.57% compared with 5.7% with embolization, ¥=.044). Conclusion: Both laparoscopic occlusion and superselective embolization of uterine arteries improved clinical symptoms in the majority of patients. Participants with the radiologic embolization pocedure had more postoperative pain but less heavier menstrual bleeding 12 months afte treatment.