Interventional therapy – a new option for uterine fibroids

  Uterine fibroids are the most common benign tumor in the female reproductive system. About 25-30% of women of reproductive age have fibroids, with pelvic masses, excessive menstruation and secondary anemia as the main symptoms. As a common gynecological disease, there are many treatment options, such as surgical removal of the uterus, laparoscopic myoma removal, medication and interventional treatment.  Interventional treatment is an emerging treatment method in recent years and has achieved good clinical results in the treatment of uterine fibroids. This treatment method mainly involves intravascular cannulation technique to deliver a catheter to the uterine artery or even to the blood vessels supplying the fibroids and to embolize the blood vessels to block the blood supply. After the uterine artery is embolized, the uterus can still maintain normal nutrition through other collateral vessels, whereas with uterine fibroids, the only source of blood supply is the uterine artery, and once the uterine artery is completely embolized, no other collateral vessels can provide the nutrition needed for its growth.  Therefore, after embolization of the uterine artery, the fibroids will be necrotic due to ischemia and hypoxia, and the size of the fibroids will be reduced or even disappear, thus achieving the goal of treatment. Interventional treatment offers a new option for women who are afraid of surgery, especially if they desire to preserve their uterus.