Fertility and Pregnancy Outcome after Myoma Enucleation by Minilaparotomy under Microsurgical Conditions in Pronounced Uterus Myomatosus

Reproductive outcomes of high-intensity focused ultrasound ablation and myomectomy for uterine fibroids: a systematic review and meta-analysis

RESEARCH QUESTION

Does high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) ablation have comparable reproductive outcomes to myomectomy for patients with uterine fibroids?

DESIGN

A systematic review and a meta-analysis of data extracted from published studies up to March 2024.

RESULTS

Through a more structured analysis, HIFU treatment yielded a pooled pregnancy rate of 23.3% (95% CI 11.5 to 37.6%) and a pooled live birth rate (LBR) of 17.3% (95% CI 7.8 to 29.3%), significantly lower than those after myomectomy, which had a pooled pregnancy rate of 56.9% (95% CI 45.6 to 67.9%) and a pooled LBR of 44.1% (95% CI 34.9 to 53.4%) (P = 0.0001 and P = 0.0003, respectively). After controlling for patient age, ultrasound-guided HIFU studies reported significantly lower pregnancy rate and LBR compared with myomectomy. Moreover, studies enrolling younger patients and explicitly recruiting those desiring to conceive reported better reproductive outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with uterine fibroids undergoing HIFU treatment and desiring to preserve their uteri resulted in poorer reproductive outcomes compared with myomectomy. Although uterine fibroids are now the number one disease that receives HIFU treatment worldwide, the overall quality in design and execution of HIFU studies on reproductive outcomes for women with uterine fibroids leaves much room for improvement. Above all, comparative trials against the standard of care are badly needed.

HIFU as an alternative modality for patients with uterine fibroids who require fertility-sparing treatment

OBJECTIVES

To compare pregnancy outcomes after high-intensity focused ultrasound ablation (HIFU), myomectomy and uterine artery embolization (UAE) for fertility-sparing patients with uterine fibroids and to investigate the possible mechanism of improving pregnancy by HIFU.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A meta-analysis of 54 studies containing 12,367 patients was conducted to compare the pregnancy outcomes of three fertility-sparing therapies. And a retrospective self-control study of 26 patients with uterine fibroids from May 2019 to December 2020 was performed to assess the blood flow impedance of bilateral uterine arteries before and after HIFU.

RESULTS

In the analysis by treatment option, the pregnancy rate after myomectomy was 0.43 (95% CI 0.36-0.49), which was higher than 0.18 (95% CI 0.10-0.26) after HIFU, the latter was significantly higher than that after UAE (ratio 0.08, 95% CI 0.06-0.10). The miscarriage rate after HIFU was 0.08 (95% CI 0.04-0.12), which was similar to 0.15 (95% CI 0.09-0.21) after myomectomy and also similar to 0.16 after UAE (95% CI 0.01-0.30). In the subgroup analysis, women who received ultrasound guided HIFU (USgHIFU) were more likely to have ideal pregnancy outcomes than that after magnetic resonance imaging-guided HIFU. The pulsatility index and resistance index on the right side were significantly higher 3 months after HIFU than before (1.637 ± 0.435 vs. 1.845 ± 0.469; p = 0.033; 0.729 ± 0.141 vs. 0.784 ± 0.081, p = 0.039).

CONCLUSIONS

HIFU, especially USgHIFU, may be an alternative fertility-sparing modality for patients with uterine fibroids over 40 years old. HIFU may contribute to improving pregnancy rates by elevating uterine blood flow impedance.

UTERINE FIBROIDS IMPACT ON FERTILITY AND PREGNANCY OUTCOME

The clinical confirmation of the relationship between uterine leiomyoma and female infertility is of interest to scholars. The aim of our research was to study obstetric history and the level of sex hormones in women of reproductive age with leiomyoma. Materials and methods. The main group consisted of 90 women of reproductive age with uterine leiomyoma, the control group - 45 healthy women. Gynaecological and obstetric history, hormone content in peripheral blood and pelvic vessels (estradiol, progesterone) were analysed. Statistical processing of clinical material was performed using Microsoft Excel, Statistica 7.0, and Statistica 8.0 for Windows. Results. The frequency of infertility in the surveyed women with LM was 18.9 %. One in three patients in the main group (33.3 %) did not give birth, which was statistically different from the healthy women group. In this case, 25.6 % of women in the main group did not use any methods of contraception. It was found that 51.11 % of patients with LM had threatened miscarriage in their history, 37.5 % – complicated delivery. Pathological changes in the concentrations of estradiol and progesterone in the preferential blood and blood vessels of women with fibroids have been identified. We have found that the content of sex hormones in the local bloodstream has a reliable relationship with the location of the myomatous node. Conclusion. The obtained results may indicate that leiomyoma contributes to the reduction of fertility. This is evidenced by the fact that women with LM are more likely to have the risk of miscarriage, complicated delivery and delivery by caesarean section, including complicated one. The findings have made a significant contribution to the further development of effective strategies for the prevention and treatment of infertility in women with fibrotic uterine lesions.

Three-dimensionally-printed models in reproductive surgery: systematic review and clinical applications

INTRODUCTION

3D printing has wide application in medicine while it provides customizability and precision for anatomical model development. Our aims were to perform a systematic review and to explore the use of 3D printing applications on human reproduction and reproductive surgery.

EVIDENCE ACQUISITION

We have performed a systematic review in PubMed database to assess previous publications within 3D printing in human reproduction and gynecology. We have developed 3D models according to patients' magnetic resonance images (MRI). MRI were transformed into DICOM images that originated our 3D virtual models and PolyJet technology was applied for the printing process. We included two infertile patients in reproductive age with surgical indication for hysteroscopy septoplasty and myomectomy.

EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS

Of 1965 studies searched, we excluded 1934 publications based on their titles. Abstracts of 31 remained studies were read, and 24 studies were selected for full-text analysis. We included 11 studies for the systematic review, based on our eligibility criteria. We have designed four 3D models (uterus, ovaries, uterine cervix and uterus with fibroids) that provided enriched information to improve pre-surgical planning, medical training, fertility-sparing surgery, patient comprehension of surgical procedures and assisted reproduction applications.

CONCLUSIONS

3D models for human reproduction are feasible. They might improve assisted reproductive techniques, help in pre-surgical planning for reproductive surgeries, and provide accurate measures of ovarian reserve. Besides, we see future applications in endometrioma research and in the fabrication of devices, such as embryo transfer catheter and a 3D printed embryo.

Morbidity, fertility and pregnancy outcomes after myoma enucleation by laparoscopy versus laparotomy

OBJECTIVES

Myomas are defined as benign tumours that arise from smooth muscle cells of the uterus. Clinically, they are found in 5-77% of women of reproductive age. The prevalence rate varies considerably in the literature and a large number of fibroids do not cause symptoms. The lifetime risk of acquiring myomas is 70% for Caucasian women and ≥ 80% for African American women.

MATERIALS/METHODS

The data of 265 patients undergoing surgery for symptomatic myomas by laparoscopy or laparotomy, performed in the gynaecological department of Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany, between 2009 and 2013, were retrospectively analysed in this retrospective design study.

RESULTS

High pregnancy rates (up to 70%) and birth rates (up to 86%) after myomectomy, regardless of the surgical approach adopted, were found in the current study. The trend was that ≥ 3 myomas and those that were ≥ 6 cm in size were almost always removed by laparotomy in our clinic. It was possible to remove up to 42 myomas without having to perform a hysterectomy. A statistically significant negative correlation was observed in relation to the association between the size of the largest myoma extracted and the pregnancy rate (p = 0.02). A statistically significant correlation between the number of removed myomas and the pregnancy rate was observed for patients who wished to bear children (p = 0.010). Elevated complication rates (of up to 50%) were reported for more than three extracted myomas with a statistically significance (p = 0.0471).

CONCLUSIONS

It is necessary to ensure sound preoperative selection of the surgical approach in order to achieve the most optimal results, especially for those patients who wished to bear children.

Diagnostic Office Vaginohysteroscopy in Evaluation of Infertility Prior to IVF: A Retrospective Analysis of 1000 Cases

AIM

The aim of this study was to analyze the utility of routine use of diagnostic office vaginohysteroscopy in the evaluation of uterine cavity in infertility patients prior to IVF-ET.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We conducted a retrospective analysis of 1000 women who had undergone routine diagnostic office vaginohysteroscopy as an institutional protocol in the evaluation of infertility prior to IVF-ET cycle at a tertiary care hospital. They were divided into two groups: primary infertility (group I) and secondary infertility (group II). The primary outcome was the finding of an abnormal uterine cavity (congenital abnormality vs acquired abnormality).

RESULTS

One thousand women underwent routine diagnostic office vaginohysteroscopy in the evaluation of infertility prior to IVF-ET. There were no intraoperative or postoperative complications. Vaginohysteroscopy revealed an abnormal uterine cavity in 13.8% (1000 patients) of women. Primary infertility group (I) had 13.19% (811 patients), and secondary infertility group (II) had 16.4% (189 patients) abnormal uterine cavities.

CONCLUSION

Diagnostic office vaginohysteroscopy has a definite role in the uterine cavity evaluation in infertility patients prior to IVF, but routine use should not be recommended considering the low incidence of abnormal uterine cavity findings. Moreover, the majority of these uterine cavity abnormalities can be detected by less invasive tests such as HSG, TVS, SSG and 3D ultrasound.