Title : Percutaneous microwave ablation in uterine fibroid treatment - a systematic review and meta-analysis
Abstract:
Objectives: The purpose of our systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess the clinical efficacy and safety of microwave ablation therapy (MWA) for the treatment of uterine fibroids.
Methods: We included clinical trials and observational studies that reported at least one of our outcomes in women with symptomatic uterine fibroids who underwent MWA therapy. We searched PubMed, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Library and evaluated the risk of bias and evidence quality using the NIH tools. For relevant outcome measures, we calculated weighted mean difference (WMD) with a 95% confidence interval (CI). Subgroup and sensitivity analysis was also performed.
Results: A total of 14 studies representing 754 patients with uterine fibroids were included. Compared with baseline, there was a statistically significant reduction in Symptom Severity Score (WMD -33.3, 95% CI -41.16, -25.46; p <0.00001) and in fibroid volume (WMD -78.08, 95% CI -117.19, -38.96; p <0.0001). Moreover, the Health Related-Quality of Life (HR-QoL) and hemoglobin (Hb) concentration increased significantly (WMD 27.21, 95% CI 21.70, 32.72; p <0.00001 and WMD 23.86, 95% CI 11.27, 36.44; p=0.0002 for HR-QoL and Hb concentration, respectively). We also performed subgroup analysis on the basis of study type, location, and follow-up time, which showed statistically significant results for all the outcomes.
Conclusion: Our analysis suggests that MWA is a safe and efficacious treatment for uterine fibroids. However, high heterogeneity among the included studies limits the interpretation of our results.
Keywords: Microwave Ablation, Uterine Fibroids, Uterine Myomas
