Özet:

İntroduction: The gold standard method in the treatment of uterine fibroids is minimally invasive uterus-sparing surgery. Uterine fibroid embolization procedure has been practiced for about 20 years. The effects of microsphere sizes used as embolizing agents on UFE treatment were investigated in our retropective study. Materials and Methods: In our retrospective study, the results of 44 patients who underwent UFE investigated. We formed to 2 groups; Group 1 started to treatment with initial microspheres of 500 micron or less size and Group 2 patients who used microspheres of 700 micron and above as initial vial. The results of pain scoring, symptoms and dominant fibroid volume before the procedure and at 6 months after UFE were compared. Results: The number of patients scored very severe pain and severe pain was higher in Group 1. While the mean pain score in Group 1 was 4.9, it was 3.6 in Group 2 (P<0.01). When the two groups were compared in the 6th month MR examination in target uterine fibroid volumes, mean volume reductions were found to be similar. There was no difference between the two groups in symptom relief rates. Discussion: We compared the pretreatment and 6th month MRI examinations, we found the size of the dominant uterine fibroids decreased similarly in both groups; there is no statistically significant difference was found in terms of decrease in uterine volume. We did not found significant correlation between microsphere size and post-treatment fibroid shrinkage in our study. There is an inversely proportional relationship between pain and particle size. The use of small-sized microspheres increases pain. Microsphere sizes were not found to be associated with symptom relief. Conclusion: A significant correlation could not be established between the microsphere size and clinical results and symptom relief, but post-procedure pain increased significantly afeter the use of microspheres under 500 microns in the UFE procedures.