To report the effectiveness of uterine artery embolisation (UAE) in treating adenomyosis in women who failed prior endometrial ablation (EA).
Endometrial ablation (EA) is a minimally invasive treatment for heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB). Patient satisfaction rates for EA are around 80–90%; however, about 10–20% of women require additional intervention (re-ablation or hysterectomy) due to persistent bleeding or pain [1]. Women with adenomyosis are more likely to fail EA [2]. Those with unsatisfactory outcomes from EA may be offered hysterectomy as their only remaining treatment option. Case series and meta-analyses have demonstrated that UAE is effective in alleviating adenomyosis-related HMB and dysmenorrhea [3, 4]. However, the effectiveness of UAE in treating women who failed prior EA has not been previously reported. This is a retrospective cohort study of the outcome of UAE for adenomyosis in women who failed previous EA.
This study was approved by the institutional Human Research Ethics Committee. Informed consent was obtained from each participant. Women presenting to our clinic with significant dysmenorrhea and/or HMB following unsatisfactory endometrial ablation were offered UAE as an alternative to hysterectomy. Medical records of women who had UAE for adenomyosis at our institution between January 2017 and March 2022 were reviewed to identify those who had EA prior to UAE. All women had pre-UAE MRI to confirm the presence of adenomyosis, diagnosed based on previously published criteria: junctional zone thickness of ≥ 12 mm or > 40% of myometrial thickness, or the presence of T2 hyperintense cysts/foci/fissuring [5]. All UAE procedures were performed with non-spherical polyvinyl alcohol (nsPVA) particles as previously described [4], and with starting nsPVA size at 180–300 micron (Cook 200) or 150–250 micron (Boston Scientific) as suggested by the 1-2-3 Protocol [6]. To evaluate the clinical outcome, a 2-part online survey was sent to women via email link to complete at home. Part 1 inquired about symptoms, menopausal status, overall satisfaction, and requirement for further intervention (Appendix 1). Women who had heavy menstrual bleeding prior to UAE were asked about their periods at the time of the audit. Overall success rate of UAE was assessed by asking women if they were “Very Satisfied,” “Satisfied,” “Not sure,” “Not Satisfied,” or “Very Unsatisfied” about the outcome. Only women who rated “Very Satisfied” or “Satisfied” were regarded as overall successful. Part 2 consisted of the validated Uterine Fibroid Symptom and Quality of Life Survey (UFSQoL) [7]. The following parameters before UAE and at follow-up were recorded and compared: dysmenorrhea visual analogue scale (VAS) pain score, number of days with dysmenorrhea, symptom score, and QoL score (using UFSQoL). Uterine volume and junctional zone thickness at baseline MRI and 6 months follow-up were compared. Significance of changes before and after treatment was
Purpose: To evaluate outcomes and complications of prophylactic internal iliac balloon occlusion (PIIBO) in the management of patients with placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) at a large regional referral centre.
Materials and methods: A retrospective review of all PIIBO for PAS performed over a 12-year period (2010-2022). Information for analysis was gathered from the local RIS/PACS and clinical documentation. Collected data included patient demographics, indication for procedure, sheath insertion and removal time, total duration of balloon inflation and complications that occurred.
Results: 106 patients underwent temporary internal iliac artery balloon occlusion within the 12-year period. All procedures utilised bilateral common femoral artery punctures, 6Fr sheath and 5Fr Le Maitre occlusion balloons. Catheters were successfully positioned and balloons inflated in obstetric theatre following caesarean delivery in 100% of the cases. The uterus was conserved in every case. There was no maternal mortality or foetal morbidity. Twenty patients (18.9%) had some form of complication that required further intervention. Of these, 7(6.6%) had post-operative PPH, which was treated with uterine artery embolisation; and 13 (12.3%) had arterial thrombus which required aspiration thrombectomy. All procedures were technically successful with no long-term sequelae.
Conclusion: PIIBO plays an important part in reducing morbidity and mortality in patients with PAS. Clear pathways and multidisciplinary team working is critical in the management of these patients to ensure that any complications are dealt with promptly to avoid long-term sequelae.
Background: Ulcer erosion into the cystic artery is a rare cause of bleeding in duodenal ulcers, with only a limited number of cases described in the literature. Historically, treatment has predominantly involved surgical intervention. We present three cases of duodenal ulcer bleeding due to cystic artery erosion, which were successfully managed with cystic artery embolization.
Case presentation: This case series includes three male patients with duodenal ulcer bleeding, aged 90, 81, and 82 years, respectively, and no prior history of biliary system disorders. The ulcer locations were identified as two in the post-bulbar region and one in the anterior bulb. After the failure of medical and endoscopic treatment, transcatheter arterial embolization was adopted. Initial angiography did not reveal any contrast medium extravasation. Empirical embolization of the gastroduodenal artery using gelatin sponge particles and coils failed to achieve hemostasis. Super-selective cystic artery angiography confirmed the source of bleeding as the cystic artery. One patient was embolized with gelatin sponge particles and coils, while the other two patients were embolized with N-butyl-cyanoacrylate. All patients achieved successful hemostasis without gallbladder infraction.
Conclusions: Cystic artery embolization proved to be a minimally invasive technique for achieving hemostasis in these cases, indicating that it may be a safe and effective alternative to surgery for this uncommon cause of upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Validation through further studies is warranted.
Background: Uterine artery embolisation is a recommended method of adenomyosis treatment with good clinical results. Changes in uterine volume and maximal junctional zone thickness (JZmax) after embolisation are thoroughly analyzed in the literature. In contrast changes in other suggested morphological diagnostic markers of adenomyosis (junctional zone differential / JZdiff-and junctional zone ratio / JZratio) are rarely evaluated. This single-centre retrospective study aimed to analyse the changes in morphological parameters used for the MR imaging diagnosis of adenomyosis (including JZdiff and JZratio) after UAE. Clinical effectiveness and safety were also analysed.
Materials and methods: Patients who underwent UAE for pure adenomyosis from Jan 2008 to Dec 2021 were evaluated. Adenomyosis was diagnosed based on JZmax, JZdiff, and JZratio measured on MR imaging. To assess clinical efficacy, the numerical-analog-quality-of-life (QoL) score was routinely obtained from patients at our centre. MRI morphological data were analysed. Statistical analysis was conducted using Wilcoxon signed-rank test, uni- and multivariate regression models, Pearson product-moment correlation, and Kruskal-Wallis tests.
Results: From our database of 801 patients who underwent UAE between Jan 2008 to Dec 2021, preprocedural MR images were available in 577 cases and, 15 patients had pure adenomyosis (15/577, 2.6%). Uterine volume, JZmax, and JZdiff decreased significantly after UAE; QoL score increased significantly. A significant correlation was found between QoL change vs. JZmax and JZdiff change. Permanent amenorrhoea and elective hysterectomy 5 years after UAE were both 7.1%.
Conclusion: Change of JZdiff after UAE in adenomyosis is a potential marker of clinical success. UAE is a clinically safe and effective treatment for adenomyosis.
Background: The optimal endovascular treatment (EVT) for chronic total occlusion (CTO) lesions in patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD) has remained unestablished. We encountered a patient with PAD in whom CTO was successfully treated using a novel technique that involved intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and angled guiding catheter: IVUS Preceding with Angled guiDing catheter (I-PAD) technique.
Case presentation: A 74-year-old male presented with intermittent claudication attributed to CTO of the right external iliac artery. EVT was performed via the right common femoral artery. We retrogradely advanced the I-PAD system (i.e. partially extending the IVUS transducer portion from the tip of the angled guiding catheter) in the CTO lesion under the real-time guidance of IVUS imaging. We successfully traversed the CTO lesion without the use of a guidewire in approximately three minutes. The procedure concluded successfully without any procedure-related complications, following optimal stenting.
Conclusions: The I-PAD might be an effective technique to accurately, quickly, and safely pass through CTO lesions.
Background: The Viabahn endoprosthesis has become a vital option for endovascular therapy, yet there is limited long-term data on its effectiveness for peripheral aneurysm repair. This study aimed to evaluate the safety, technical and clinical success, and long-term patency of the Viabahn endoprosthesis for treating femoropopliteal aneurysms.
Methods: This retrospective tertiary single-center study analyzed patients who underwent a Viabahn endoprosthesis procedure for femoropopliteal aneurysm repair from 2010 to 2020. Intraoperative complications, technical and clinical success rates, and major adverse events (MAE, including acute thrombotic occlusion, major amputation, myocardial infarction, and device- or procedure-related death) at 30 days were assessed. Incidence of clinically-driven target lesion revascularisation (cdTLR) was noted. Patency rates were evaluated by Kaplan-Meier analysis.
Results: Among 19 patients (mean age, 72 ± 12 years; 18 male, 1 female) who underwent aneurysm repair using the Viabahn endoprosthesis, there were no intraoperative adverse events, with 100% technical and clinical success rates. At the 30-day mark, all patients (19/19, 100%) were free of MAE. The median follow-up duration was 1,009 days [IQR, 462-1,466]. Popliteal stent graft occlusion occurred in 2/19 patients (10.5%) after 27 and 45 months, respectively. Consequently, the primary patency rates were 100%, 90%, 74% at 12, 24, and 36-72 months, respectively. Endovascular cdTLR was successful in both cases, resulting in sustained secondary patency at 100%.
Conclusion: The use of Viabahn endoprostheses for femoropopliteal aneurysm repair demonstrated technical and clinical success rates of 100%, a 0% 30-day MAE rate, and excellent long-term patency.
Background: Varicocele embolization is an effective, minimally invasive treatment option, with a symptom improvement rate of around 90%. However, anatomical variations and post-embolization recurrences pose challenges to its efficacy. This article discusses the antegrade embolization technique as a viable alternative for cases in which retrograde embolization fails, offering a broader spectrum of treatment options for varicocele.
Case presentation: This case report details the treatment of a 27-year-old male with a left varicocele, diagnosed during infertility assessment, using an alternative embolization technique. Despite initial failed attempts at retrograde catheterization via the femoral vein, a direct inguinal puncture of the left testicular vein was successfully performed under ultrasound guidance. A mixture of Glubran® and Lipiodol® was used for embolization, achieving varicocele embolization without complications. The patient was discharged 2 hours post-procedure, with follow-up confirming the procedure's effectiveness and safety.
Conclusion: This article introduces a less invasive, ultrasound-guided technique for varicocele embolization, presenting a viable alternative to surgery when conventional retrograde methods fail.
Prostate artery embolisation (PAE) is a minimally invasive procedure commonly performed to treat lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) secondary to benign prostatic hyperplasia. International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) is a validated patient questionnaire quantifying LUTS and is used for patient selection for PAE, but it is largely subjective. Prostate volume is an easily estimated objective parameter across multiple imaging modalities. No strict threshold of prostate volume is established as a selection criterion for PAE, but it is generally accepted that prostate volume should be over 40 to 50 mL.We looked at a sample of 65 cases performed at a large teaching hospital between 2017 and 2019 with a minimum of four years follow up. Embospheres between 100 to 500 microns were injected into the prostatic arteries bilaterally (if technically feasible). A 'bullet shape' model was used to estimate prostatic volume from initial CT. N = 13 had an estimated volume < 51 mL (range 31-50 mL). IPSS before and at 3 months post-procedure were collected.80% of patients indicated a beneficial response to PAE (IPSS improvement > 5). 23% of patients required further PAE procedure or surgery. No major complications were recorded. The mean change in IPSS under 51 mL compared to over 51 mL cohort was 10.2 versus 11 (standard deviation 7.5 versus 7.3) (p = 0.44, 2 tailed Student's T-test).There was no statistically significant difference in the IPSS improvement or outcome of small volume prostates under 51 mL compared to large volume. Our results suggest that prostate volume should not be used to exclude patients for PAE.