Noninvasive Treatment Option Reduces Symptoms for Women With Uterine Fibroids

A new noninvasive treatment option may be effective for reducing the symptoms of uterine fibroids, according to new research.

“Uterine fibroids are one of the most common gynaecological tumours in premenopausal women. The conventional surgical treatments are myomectomy and hysterectomy, but high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is a new noninvasive treatment creating no surgical wound,” the researchers wrote.

To conduct their study, the researchers searched online databases for studies published before January 2021. Studies included in the analysis included patients with uterine fibroids who underwent HIFU and traditional surgery (myomectomy and hysterectomy) and included a comparison of outcomes.

A total of 10 studies were included in the analysis. Results showed that HIFU significantly improved symptom severity and quality of life scores at 6 and 12 months post intervention, compared with traditional surgical options.

“HIFU could be an effective and safe treatment option for patients with uterine fibroids,” the researchers concluded. “However, one of its side effects, skin burns, requires further research and discussion. Additional studies involving more randomized controlled trials are warranted.”

—Amanda Balbi

Reference

Tsai MC, Chang LT, Tam KW. Comparison of high-intensity focused ultrasound and conventional surgery for patients with uterine fibroids: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Minim Invasive Gynecol. 2021;S1553-4650(21)00281-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmig.2021.06.002