title: Reproductive Outcomes in Women Following Radiofrequency Volumetric Thermal Ablation of Symptomatic Fibroids. A Retrospective Case Series Analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report reproductive outcomes in women who underwent radiofrequency volumetric thermal ablation (RFVTA) of symptomatic uterine fibroids.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective analysis of fibroid characteristics, treatment parameters, and pregnancy outcomes of 6 subjects in 3 prospective trials of laparoscopic ultrasound-guided RFVTA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Despite the requirement that women enrolled in the RFVTA studies did not desire current or future childbearing and were to continue contraception, 6 subjects conceived at between 3.5 and 15 months postreatment. The number of fibroids treated per patient ranged from 1 to 7, measured between 1.0 cm and 7.6 cm at the greatest diameter, and included multiple types (submucosal, intramural, transmural, and subserosal). Five patients (5/6, 83%) delivered full-term healthy infants: 1 by vaginal delivery and 4 by cesarean section. One patient (1/6, 17%) had a spontaneous miscarriage in the first trimester.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Viable, full-term pregnancies are possible after RFVTA. Further, in-depth study of pregnancy outcomes following laparoscopic ultrasound-guided radiofrequency, volumetric ablation of fibroids is warranted.
authors.forename: Jay M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Berman
authors.forename: Jay M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Bolnick
authors.forename: Rodolfo Robles
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Pemueller
authors.forename: José G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Garza Leal
mesh_terms: D000022:Abortion, Spontaneous; D000328:Adult; D017115:Catheter Ablation; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D018231:Leiomyomatosis / Q000601:surgery*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*