Uterine artery embolization for treatment of leiomyomata: long-term outcomes from the FIBROID Registry.
OBJECTIVE
To assess long-term clinical outcomes of uterine artery embolization across a wide variety of practice settings in a large patient cohort.


METHODS
The Fibroid Registry for Outcomes Data (FIBROID) for Uterine Embolization was a 3-year, single-arm, prospective, multi-center longitudinal study of the short- and long-term outcomes of uterine artery embolization for leiomyomata. Two thousand one hundred twelve patients with symptomatic leiomyomata were eligible for long-term follow-up at 27 sites representing a geographically diverse set of practices, including academic centers, community hospitals, and closed-panel health maintenance organizations. At 36 months after treatment, 1,916 patients remained in the study, and of these, 1,278 patients completed the survey. The primary measures of outcome were the symptom and health-related quality-of-life scores from the Uterine Fibroid Symptom and Quality of Life questionnaire.


RESULTS
Mean symptom scores improved 41.41 points (P<.001), and the quality of life scores improved 41.47 points (P<.001), both moving into the normal range for this questionnaire. The improvements were independent of practice setting. During the 3 years of the study, Kaplan-Meier estimates of hysterectomy, myomectomy, or repeat uterine artery embolization were 9.79%, 2.82%, and 1.83% of the patients, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Uterine artery embolization results in a durable improvement in quality of life. These results are achievable when the procedure is performed in any experienced community or academic interventional radiology practice.


METHODS
III.
Goodwin
Scott C
SC
Department of Radiological Sciences, School of Medicine at the University of California at Irvine, Irvine, California, USA. sgoodwin@uci.edu
Spies
James B
JB
Worthington-Kirsch
Robert
R
Peterson
Eric
E
Pron
Gaylene
G
Li
Shuang
S
Myers
Evan R
ER
D000328:Adult; D004621:Embolization, Therapeutic / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D018231:Leiomyomatosis / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D012042:Registries; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D014599:Uterus / Q000098:blood supply*