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Application of transabdominal ultrasound- and laparoscopy-guided percutaneous microwave ablation for treating uterine fibroids: 24-month follow-up outcomes

  • General Gynecology
  • Published:
Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

To determine the ablation efficacy of transabdominal ultrasound- and laparoscopy-guided percutaneous microwave ablation (PMWA), to investigate whether the risk of damage to adjacent organs and endometrium due to this technique can be reduced or even avoided. We also evaluated the clinical efficacy of this technique in the treatment of uterine fibroids of different sizes and at different locations over a 24-month follow-up period.

Methods

This study included 50 patients with uterine fibroids who underwent transabdominal ultrasound- and laparoscopy-guided PMWA from August 2018 to July 2020. Lesions were confirmed by pathology. The technical efficacy and complications of PMWA were assessed. The lesion diameter, lesion volume, lesion location, and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) features before PMWA and within 24 h after PMWA were recorded. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used for follow-up at 3 and 6 months after PMWA. Transvaginal ultrasound was used for follow-up at 24 months after PMWA.

Results

A total of 50 patients with uterine fibroids received treatment. The median ablation rate of uterine fibroids was 97.21%. The mean lesion volume reduction rates were 32.63%, 57.26%, and 92.64% at 3, 6, and 24 months after treatment, respectively. The size and location of uterine fibroids did not significantly affect the ablation rate and the rate of lesion volume reduction. No major complication was found during and after the procedure.

Conclusion

Transabdominal ultrasound- and laparoscopy-guided PMWA can be utilized to safely enhance the ablation rate while minimizing ablation time and avoiding harm to adjacent organs and the endometrium. This technique is applicable for treating uterine fibroids of different sizes and at varying locations.

Trial registration number

ChiCTR-IPR-17011910, and date of trial registration: 08/07/2017.

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Data availability

Data are available from the author.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Muting He for assistance with Fig. 1. We also thank Dongken Hong for assistance with data collection.

Funding

This work was supported by the Suzhou Wumen medical school research special scientific research fund (Grant number SKJYD2021190).

Author information

Author notes

  1. Tong Chen and Qiongzhen Ren contributed equally to this manuscript.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ultrasound, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, 1055 Sanxiang Road, Gusu District, Suzhou, 215004, Jiangsu, China

    Tong Chen, Fei Wang, Yuma Jin, Peiqing Liu & Qi Ma

  2. Department of Gynecology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China

    Qiongzhen Ren

  3. Department of Ultrasound, Jiang Yin Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China

    Qiuyan Ge

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  1. Tong Chen
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Contributions

QM and QZR designed and supervised the study; TC, QZR, QYG, FW, YMJ, PQL, and QM performed acquisition, analysis, and interpretation of the clinical data; TC drafted the manuscript; QM and QZR provided critical revision of the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Qi Ma.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

This study was performed in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University with approval number (K1) (2017).

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Chen, T., Ren, Q., Ge, Q. et al. Application of transabdominal ultrasound- and laparoscopy-guided percutaneous microwave ablation for treating uterine fibroids: 24-month follow-up outcomes. Arch Gynecol Obstet 309, 1043–1052 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-023-07334-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-023-07334-9

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