INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: The objective was to determine the effect of uterine fibroid embolization (UFE) on lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and quality of life (QoL).
METHODS: This prospective study included women with symptomatic fibroids and LUTS who underwent UFE between March 2008 and May 2010. Subjects underwent pre-procedural pelvic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and completed the Urogenital Distress Inventory (UDI-6), Incontinence Impact Questionnaire (IIQ-7), Prolapse and Incontinence Sexual Questionnaire (PISQ-12), Uterine Fibroid Symptom Quality of Life questionnaire (UFS-QoL), and a standardized 48-h bladder diary at baseline and 3 months after the procedure. Patient Global Impression of Improvement (PGI-I) assessed post-procedural patient satisfaction. The primary outcome was subjective improvement in LUTS at 3 months, as measured by a decrease in UDI-6 score. Univariate analysis, paired t test and a stepwise regression analysis were appropriately conducted.
RESULTS: Fifty-seven patients underwent UFE and completed bladder diaries and questionnaires. At 3 months after UFE, patients reported a significant decrease in UDI-6, IIQ-7, and UFS-QoL, indicating an improvement in urinary symptoms and QoL. Bladder diaries showed a significant reduction in daytime and night-time voids. No difference was found in incontinence episodes. Uterine volume, dominant fibroid size, fibroid location, and MRI-confirmed bladder compression did not affect the difference in UDI-6 scores. In a stepwise regression model, BMI had a significant impact on the change in UDI-6 score, with a decrease of 1.18 points for each 1 unit increase in BMI.
CONCLUSION: Uterine fibroid embolization significantly improves LUTS and urinary-related QoL. Obesity seems to attenuate this effect.
Written by:
Shveiky D, Iglesia CB, Antosh DD, Kudish BI, Peterson J, Huang CC, Spies JB. Are you the author?
Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Ein Kerem, PO Box 12000, Jerusalem, Israel.
Reference: Int Urogynecol J. 2012 Dec 18. Epub ahead of print.
doi: 10.1007/s00192-012-2013-7
PubMed Abstract
PMID: 23247276
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