Introduction
Uterine fibroids (UFs) are the most common benign tumors in female reproductive system of childbearing age. It is reported that the prevalence rate is 20~40%, and the incidence rate is higher in infertility patients[1]. Among patients seeking reproductive assistance, up to 27% of patients have UFs[2]. As an independent risk factor, the incidence of infertility caused by UFs is 1 ~ 3%, and the incidence of recurrent abortion is 7%[3]. UFs also affect the smooth progress of assisted reproduction technology (ART) [1]. Therefore, for patients with symptomatic UFs for fertility requirements, the treatment of UFs is one of the positive measures to improve fertility.
At present, the standard treatment for patients with UFs who have fertility requirements is myomectomy[4]. The reproductive function of patients after surgery can be preserved to the greatest extent, but the overall trauma to the uterus is large. It takes more than 1 ~ 2 years for the uterine to repair after operation, and the scar at the uterine incision may increase the risk of uterine rupture during pregnancy[5] .
Microwave ablation (MWA) therapy for UFs is a safe and effective minimally invasive treatment developed in the past ten years, and has been widely used in clinical practice in China[6, 7]. After treatment, the UFs were confirmed significantly shrinked, and the estrogen level in serum had no significant change. Some patients conceive spontaneously after treatment, suggesting that this method may improve infertility caused by UFs[8, 9].
Based on the previous research, this study prospectively observed the pregnancy status and outcomes of patients with symptomatic UFs and fertility requirements after an ultrasound (US) guidance MWA treatment, and investigated the impact of the treatment on pregnancy and its prognosis, as well as the related factors affecting successful pregnancy after treatment.