title: Pain and return to daily activities after uterine artery embolization and hysterectomy in the treatment of symptomatic uterine fibroids: results from the randomized EMMY trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the safety and efficacy of uterine artery embolization (UAE) and hysterectomy for symptomatic uterine fibroids by means of a randomized controlled trial. The present paper analyses short-term outcomes, i.e., pain and return to daily activities.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients were randomized (1:1) to UAE or hysterectomy. Pain was assessed during admission and after discharge, both quantitatively and qualitatively, using a numerical rating scale and questionnaires. Time to return to daily activities was assessed by questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventy-five patients underwent hysterectomy and 81 patients underwent UAE. UAE patients experienced significantly less pain during the first 24 hr after treatment (p = 0.012). Non-white patients had significantly higher pain scores. UAE patients returned significantly sooner to daily activities than hysterectomy patients (for paid work: 28.1 versus 63.4 days; p < 0.001). In conclusion, pain appears to be less after UAE during hospital stay. Return to several daily activities was in favor of UAE in comparison with hysterectomy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynaecology, Academic Medical Centre, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam, AZ, 1105, The Netherlands. w.j.k.hehenkamp@amc.nl
authors.forename: Wouter J K
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Hehenkamp
authors.forename: Nicole A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Volkers
authors.forename: Erwin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Birnie
authors.forename: Jim A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Reekers
authors.forename: Willem M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Ankum
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D004621:Embolization, Therapeutic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007044:Hysterectomy; D007889:Leiomyoma / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D010147:Pain Measurement; D012044:Regression Analysis; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D014599:Uterus / Q000098:blood supply*