ABSTRACT
Objective: This study was designed with an aim to evaluate the effectiveness of high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) ablation for the treatment of uterine fibroids.
Methods: Patients with symptomatic fibroids (mean age ± SD was (38.1 ± 1.3) years; age ranges between 28 to 48 years) were undergoing HIFU ablation between January 2014 and January 2015. A HIFUNIT 9000 tumor therapy was used. Pre- and post-treatment imaging examination included B-scan imaging, color Doppler flow imaging (CDFI), and power Doppler imaging was performed and analyzed. Statistical analysis was performed using the standard Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) version 15 for windows. P ≤ 0.0001 was considered to indicate a statistical significant difference.
Results: The mean diameter of the uterine fibroids was (5.2 ± 1.8) cm (diameter range between 3.9 to 10.6 cm), and the mean volume was (45.2 ± 1.6) cm3 (volume range between 7.8 to 76.4 cm3). HIFU ablation was well tolerated in all patients. No major complications occurred. During follow-up, the ablated fibroids shrank significantly over time. The symptoms were alleviated significantly. No patients had amenorrhoea after treatment. Vaginal expulsion of necrotic tissue was seen in (12; 8%) of patients after HIFU ablation, which disappeared after 5-6 menstrual cycles.
Conclusion: Ultrasound guided HIFU ablation may be a safe and effective minimally invasive technique for the treatment of submucosal fibroids. Further studies are warranted to observe its influence on fertility.
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