Objective: To assess the safety and short-term efficacy of bilateral uterine artery ligation (UAL)
via minilaparotomy for the management of heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB).
Methods: A
prospective study of 30 women with HMB who underwent UAL. The primary outcome was
cumulative treatment failure 12 months after the procedure. Treatment failure was defined as
the need for hysterectomy during the follow-up period.
Results: At 12 months, 6 women had
undergone hysterectomy for bleeding, for a cumulative failure rate of 20% (95% CI, 9%
38%). The
number of bleeding days was significantly reduced by 11.9±1.5 days (
Pb0.001) and hemoglobin
level significantly increased by 1.3±0.15 g/dL (
Pb0.001). Of the 30 women, 24 (80%) were
satisfied with the results. No major complications were reported during the procedure or median
follow-up period of 13.2 months.
Conclusion: Bilateral UAL is a safe and effective minimally
invasive procedure that can provide an alternative treatment for HMB.
© 2008 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.
All rights reserved.