Reproductive Outcomes in Women Following Radiofrequency Volumetric Thermal Ablation of Symptomatic Fibroids. A Retrospective Case Series Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To report reproductive outcomes in women who underwent radiofrequency volumetric thermal ablation (RFVTA) of symptomatic uterine fibroids.

STUDY DESIGN: 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.

CONCLUSION: 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.