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.