Pregnancy following uterine artery embolization: an update.

OBJECTIVE

This paper seeks to evaluate the ability to conceive and deliver term pregnancies following uterine artery embolization.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective chart review of patients under the age of 40 who indicated a desire for fertility prior to embolization. Patients were questioned regarding attempts to conceive, subsequent pregnancies, and outcomes of those pregnancies. Patients who identified fertility as a desired outcome were studied. All patients who conceived were asked about the details of the pregnancy.

RESULTS

Forty-four women under the age of 40 embolized between 1996 and 2010 stated a desire for fertility. Twenty-two of these women have reported 28 pregnancies. Of these pregnancies, 20 live births, three miscarriages, and three instances of premature labor were reported. Seventeen of these pregnancies were delivered by caesarean section and six pregnancies were vaginal deliveries. And one woman is currently pregnant. No perfusion problems, either during pregnancy or labor, were reported.

CONCLUSION

The course of pregnancy and delivery was largely normal after embolization with three cases of premature labor and three miscarriages reported. Forty-eight percent of women who were under 40 and desired pregnancies were able to have successful term pregnancies.