Prophylactic temporary abdominal aortic balloon occlusion for patients with pernicious placenta previa: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Pernicious placenta previa (PPP) can increase the risk of perioperative complications. During caesarean section in patients with adherent placenta, intraoperative blood loss, hysterectomy rate and transfusion could be reduced by interventional methods. Our study aimed to investigate the influence of maternal hemodynamics control and neonatal outcomes of prophylactic temporary abdominal aortic balloon (PTAAB) occlusion for patients with pernicious placenta previa. METHODS: This was a retrospective study using data from the Peking University People's Hospital from January 2014 through January 2020. Clinical records of pregnant women undergoing cesarean section were collected. Patients were divided into two groups: treatment with PTAAB placement (group A) and no balloon placement (group B). Group A was further broken down into two groups: prophylactic placement (Group C) and balloon occlusion (group D). RESULTS: Clinical records of 33 cases from 5205 pregnant women underwent cesarean section were collected. The number of groups A, B, C, and D were 17, 16, 5 and 12.We found that a significant difference in the post-operative uterine artery embolism rates between group A and group B (0% vs.31.3%, p = 0.018). There was a significant difference in the Apgar scores at first minute between group A and group B (8.94 ± 1.43 vs 9.81 ± 0.75,p = 0.037),and the same significant difference between two groups in the pre-operative central placenta previa (29.4% vs. 0%,p = 0.044), complete placenta previa (58.8% vs 18.8%, p = 0.032),placenta implantation (76.5% vs 31.3%, p = 0.015). We could also observe the significant difference in the amount of blood cell (2.80 ± 2.68vs.10.66 ± 11.97, p = 0.038) and blood plasma transfusion (280.00 ± 268.32 vs. 1033.33 ± 1098.20, p = 0.044) between group C and group D. The significant differences in the preoperative vaginal bleeding conditions (0% vs 75%, p = 0.009), the intraoperative application rates of vasopressors (0% vs. 58.3%, p = 0.044) and the postoperative ICU (intensive care unit) admission rates (0% vs. 58.3%, p = 0.044) were also kept. CONCLUSIONS: PTAAB occlusion could be useful in reducing the rate of post-operative uterine artery embolism and the amount of transfusion, and be useful in coping with patients with preoperative vaginal bleeding conditions, so as to reduce the rate of intraoperative applications of vasopressors and the postoperative ICU (intensive care unit) admission. In PPP patients with placenta implantation, central placenta previa and complete placenta previa, we advocate the utilization of prophylactic temporary abdominal aortic balloon placement.

The "rail sign": an ultrasound finding in placenta accreta spectrum indicating deep villous invasion and adverse outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Ultrasound has demonstrated a high accuracy in the prenatal diagnosis of placenta accreta spectrum. However, it is not known whether ultrasound findings can pinpoint the depths of villous invasion, recommend surgical strategies, and predict clinical outcomes. OBJECTIVE: We described an ultrasound descriptor for the placenta accreta spectrum and investigated whether it can predict the severity of villous invasion and clinical outcomes. STUDY DESIGN: The patients with placenta accreta spectrum in this retrospective cross-sectional study were diagnosed and managed in our hospital from 2002 to 2017. The placenta, with overlying myometrium and bladder, was mapped with color Doppler sonography while the patient's bladder was full. A "rail sign" was defined as 2 parallel neovascularizations depicted by color Doppler sonography over the uterovesical junction and bladder mucosa, with interconnecting bridging vessels perpendicular to both. The patients received serial ultrasound examinations and surgery at our hospital. An unpaired t test and Pearson chi-square test compared the pathology subtypes, surgical strategies, and clinical outcomes in patients with or without a rail sign. RESULTS: We enrolled 133 consecutive cases of placenta accreta spectrum confirmed either by surgical inspection or pathology examination. Patients with a rail sign had a significantly higher risk of an abnormally invasive placenta (placenta increta or placenta percreta) than those patients without a rail sign (83.3% [60 of 72] vs 27.9% [17 of 61]; odds ratio, 12.94; P<.001). In addition, patients with a rail sign had a higher probability of perioperative approaches, including preoperative vascular control (58.3% [42 of 72] vs 21.3% [13 of 61]; odds ratio, 5.17; P<.001) and uterine artery embolization (34.7% [25 of 72] vs 11.5% [7 of 61]; odds ratio, 4.1; P=.0002]. Furthermore, patients with a rail sign carried a higher risk of adverse clinical outcomes than patients without a rail sign, such as blood transfusion (80.6% [58 of 72] vs 36.1% [22 of 61]; odds ratio, 7.34; P<.001], admission to the intensive care unit (33.3% [24 of 72] vs 16.4% [10 of 61]; odds ratio, 2.55; P=.026), hysterectomy (75% [54 of 72] vs 24.6% [15 of 61]; odds ratio, 9.2; P<.001), and bladder invasion (16.7% [12 of 72] vs 4.9% [3 of 61]; odds ratio, 3.86; P=.033). Notably, the negative predictive value of bladder invasion was 95.1%, indicating a high confidence to reject bladder invasion while the rail sign was negative. When the rail sign was used as a screening test, the positive likelihood ratio of predicting deep villous invasion was 3.64 and correlated with an increased probability of 20% to 25%. Patients with a rail sign also had a greater blood loss (2944±2748 mL vs 1530±1895 mL; P<.001) and a longer hospital stay (11.9±10.9 days vs 8.6±7.1 days; P=.036) than patients without a rail sign. CONCLUSION: A "rail sign" depicted by color Doppler sonography correlates with deeper villous invasion, additional perioperative approaches, and more adverse outcomes.

Single-System Experience With Outpatient Transradial Uterine Artery Embolization: Safety, Feasibility, Outcomes, and Early Rates of Return.

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study was to assess feasibility and rate of patients returning to the hospital when a same-day discharge protocol is used for patients undergoing transradial uterine artery embolization (UAE) for symptomatic fibroids. MATERIALS AND METHODS. A total of 374 patients who underwent transradial UAE with a same-day discharge protocol between April 2013 and June 2019, with documented follow-up, were included in this single-health-system retrospective study. Angiographic images and procedural reports were reviewed for technical success (defined as bilateral embolization). Electronic medical records were reviewed for patient and fibroid characteristics, adverse events, clinical success (defined as documented improvement in symptoms or patient satisfaction), and unplanned clinic visits, emergency department visits, and readmissions within 30 days of UAE. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify risk factors for unplanned visits. RESULTS. Eight (2.1%) patients required conversion to inpatient stay (mean length of stay, 1.4 days; range, 1-3 days). The median postprocedure observation time was 3.7 hours (range, 1.1-12.5 hours). Technical success was achieved in 94.7% of patients, with 2.4% requiring crossover to the femoral artery for access. Clinical success was achieved in 86.0% of patients, with 6-month reductions in uterus and dominant leiomyoma volume of 30.4% and 42.9%, respectively. Rates of unplanned clinic visits, emergency department visits, and readmissions were 3.2%, 5.1%, and 0.5%, respectively. Patients with submucosal fibroids or pain as an indication for UAE were significantly more likely to have unplanned visits. CONCLUSION. Transradial UAE for symptomatic fibroids can be performed using a same-day discharge protocol with low rates of patients returning to the hospital. Submucosal location and pain as an indication for UAE were predictors of early return.

Uterine Artery Embolization Compared with High-intensity Focused Ultrasound Ablation for the Treatment of Symptomatic Uterine Myomas: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare the clinical effects of uterine artery embolization (UAE) with those of high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) ablation for the treatment of symptomatic uterine myomas. DATA SOURCES: We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, and ClinicalTrials.gov for studies from January 2000 to August 2020. Related articles and relevant references of the included studies were also searched. METHODS OF STUDY SELECTION: Two researchers independently performed the data selection. We included comparative studies that compared the clinical outcomes of UAE with those of HIFU ablation in women with myomas. TABULATION, INTEGRATION, AND RESULTS: We assessed the study quality using the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions for evaluating the risk of bias. Two independent researchers performed the article selection according to the screening criteria and rated the quality of evidence for each article. We calculated pooled mean difference with 95% confidence interval (CI) for continuous data and relative risk (RR) with 95% CI for dichotomous data. The systematic review registration number is CRD42020199630 on the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews. A total of 7 articles (5 trials), involving 4592 women with symptomatic uterine myomas, were included in the meta-analysis. Compared with the HIFU ablation group, the decrease in "uterine fibroid symptom" scores as well as the increase in quality-of-life scores at the time of follow-up were higher in the UAE group, with overall mean difference 19.54 (95% CI, 15.21-23.87; p <.001) and 15.72 (95% CI, 8.30-23.13; p <.001), respectively. The women in the UAE group had a significantly lower reintervention rate (RR 0.25; 95% CI, 0.15-0.42; p <.001). The women undergoing UAE had a significantly lower pregnancy rate than those undergoing HIFU ablation (RR 0.06; 95% CI, 0.01-0.45; p = .006). The difference in the incidence of adverse events between the 2 groups was not statistically significant (p = .53). CONCLUSION: Compared with HIFU ablation, UAE provided more significant alleviation of symptoms and improvement in quality of life, lower postoperative reintervention rate, and lower pregnancy rate for women with uterine myomas. However, we cannot conclude that HIFU ablation is more favorable for desired pregnancy than UAE because of the confounding factors.

Evaluation of treatment of previous cesarean scar pregnancy with methotrexate: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Previous caesarean scar pregnancy is one type of ectopic pregnancy in myometrium and fibrous tissue of previous caesarean scar. One of the therapeutic methods of this type of ectopic pregnancy is treatment with methotrexate. Given various findings on the treatment of caesarean scar pregnancy with methotrexate and lack of global report in this regard, we aimed to achieve a global report on the treatment of CSP with methotrexate through related literature review and analysis of the results of the studies, to enable more precise planning to reduce complications of CSP. METHOD: This review study extracted information through searching national and international databases of SID،, Embase, ScienceDirect, ، Scopus, ، PubMed, Web of Science (ISI) between 2003 and January 2020. To perform the meta-analysis, random-effects model and heterogeneity of the studies with I2 index were investigated. Data were sanalysed using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis version 2. RESULTS: In total, 26 articles with a sample size of 600 individuals were enrolled in the meta-analysis. According to the results of the study, the mean level of ß-hCG was 28,744.98 ± 4425.1 mIU/ml before the intervention and was 23,836.78 ± 4533.1 mIU/ml after the intervention. The mean intraoperative blood loss (ml) was 4.8 ± 3.76 ml, mean hospital stay (days) was 11.7 ± 1.2 days, mean time for serum-hCG normalization (days) was 41.6 ± 3.2 days, success was 90.7% (95% CI: 86.7-93.5%), and complication was 9% (95% CI: 6.3-12.8%). CONCLUSION: The results of the current study show methotrexate significantly reduces ß-hCG levels and can be effective in treating caesarean scar pregnancy and its complications.

[Preliminary study on the application of abdominal aortic balloon occlusion in the treatment of cesarean scar pregnancy].

Objective: To explore the clinical value by analyzing the application of abdominal aortic balloon occlusion in the uterine curettage treatment for patients with cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP). Methods: Totally 42 CSP patients in the first Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University were analyzed retrospectively, 21 cases in the observation group, placing the balloon catheter to the abdominal aorta under the renal artery under the digital substraction angiography(DSA), conducting curettage under hysteroscopy or uterine laparoscopy immediately, and making intermittent blockage in abdominal aorta blood flow during the surgery;21 patients in the control group, conducting uterine artery embolization (UAE) before operation, conducting curettage under hysteroscopy or uterine laparoscopy after 1-3 days. The fluoroscopy time under DSA, body surface radiation dose, intraoperative blood loss, operation time, incidence of postoperative adverse reactions, hospitalization time and follow-up menstruation were comparatively analyzed. Results: All patients operated and retained the uterus successfully. In the control group, all 21 patients had different degrees of fever, pain and other symptoms after UAE. In the observation group and control group, the fluoroscopy time and body surface radiation dose under DSA respectively were (7.4±1.4) s, (5.4±1.1) mGy and (1 142.8±315.5) s, (1 442.0±300.0) mGy (both P<0.01);the average amount of intraoperative blood loss were (22±15), (19±14) ml (P>0.05), the time of uterine curettage were (37±20), (42±19) minutes (P>0.05);hospitalization time were (5.0±0.9), (7.7±1.3) days (P<0.01). The follow-up period was more than 3 months, no adverse reactions were observed in the observation group; 4 cases of menstrual reduction and 1 case of intrauterine adhesions were found in the control group. Conclusion: Abdominal aortic balloon occlusion and UAE could effectively reduce intraoperative bleeding in uterine curettage for patients with CSP; abdominal aortic balloon occlusion has significant reduction of the X-ray dose, shorter hospitalization time, and fewer adverse events comparing to UAE.

Contemporary treatment utilization among women diagnosed with symptomatic uterine fibroids in the United States.

BACKGROUND: This study evaluated treatment patterns among women diagnosed with symptomatic uterine fibroids (UF) in the United States. Data were retrospectively extracted from the IBM Watson Health MarketScan® Commercial Claims and Encounters and Medicaid Multi-State databases. METHODS: Women aged 18-64 years with ≥1 medical claim with a UF diagnosis (primary position, or secondary position plus ≥1 associated symptom) from January 2010 to June 2015 (Commercial) and January 2009 to December 2014 (Medicaid) were eligible; the first UF claim during these time periods was designated the index date. Data collected 12 months pre- and 12 and 60 months post-diagnosis included clinical/demographic characteristics, pharmacologic/surgical treatments, and surgical complications. Prevalence (2015) and cumulative incidence (Commercial, 2010-2015; Medicaid, 2009-2015) of symptomatic UF were estimated. RESULTS: 225,737 (Commercial) and 19,062 (Medicaid) women had a minimum of 12 months post-index continuous enrollment and were eligible for study. Symptomatic UF prevalence and cumulative incidence were: 0.57, 1.23% (Commercial) and 0.46, 0.64% (Medicaid). Initial treatments within 12 months post-diagnosis were surgical (Commercial, 36.7%; Medicaid, 28.7%), pharmacologic (31.7%; 53.0%), or none (31.6%; 18.3%). Pharmacologic treatments were most commonly non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and oral contraceptives; hysterectomy was the most common surgical treatment. Of procedures of abdominal hysterectomy, abdominal myomectomy, uterine artery embolization, and ablation in the first 12 months post-index, 14.9% (Commercial) and 24.9% (Medicaid) resulted in a treatment-associated complication. Abdominal hysterectomy had the highest complication rates (Commercial, 18.5%; Medicaid, 31.0%). CONCLUSIONS: Off-label use of pharmacologic therapies and hysterectomy for treatment of symptomatic UF suggests a need for indicated non-invasive treatments for symptomatic UF.

Assessment of the necessity of uterine artery embolization during suction and curettage for caesarean scar pregnancy: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Uterine artery embolization (UAE) followed by suction and curettage is a common conservative treatment for caesarean scar pregnancy (CSP), but the advantages of suction and curettage alone are underestimated due to the lack of standards for selecting appropriate cases for which this approach would be applicable. We sought to identify indicators with which to assess the need for UAE during suction and curettage. METHODS: The prospective cohort consisted of 105 women diagnosed with CSP in Peking Union Medical College Hospital between January 2016 and September 2018 who were followed up until 60 days after surgery. The main outcome was the therapy used, and secondary outcomes included recovery, bleeding, surgery time, length of hospital stay, and total cost. RESULTS: We found that ß-human chorionic gonadotropin (ß-hCG) levels were significantly lower (P < 0.05), foetal cardiac activity was significantly lower (P < 0.05), the myometrial layer was significantly thicker (P < 0.05), expenditures were lower and lengths of hospital stay were shorter in patients who received suction and curettage alone (the non-UAE group) than in those who received UAE followed by suction and curettage (the UAE+ group). In addition, for CSP patients, UAE might be less necessary when the myometrial thickness is ≥2 mm and the gestational sacmeasures ≤5 cm, and suction and curettage alone may be safer for these patients. CONCLUSION: Suction and curettage alone is a more suitable option than UAE followed by suction and curettage because the former carries a lower cost, shorter length of hospital stay, and lower risk of adverse events. Regarding risk factors, patients with a lower uterine segment thickness ≥ 2 mm and a gestational mass diameter ≤ 5 cm have an increased probability of being successfully treated with suction and curettage alone.

Comparative effectiveness of hysterectomy versus myomectomy on one-year health-related quality of life in women with uterine fibroids.

OBJECTIVE: To compare long-term health-related quality of life (HRQOL) 1 year after hysterectomy or myomectomy for treatment of uterine fibroids (UFs) and to determine whether route of procedure, race, or age affected improvements in HRQOL. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Eight clinical sites throughout the United States. PATIENT(S): A total of 1,113 premenopausal women with UFs who underwent hysterectomy or myomectomy as part of Comparing Options for Management: Patient-Centered Results for Uterine Fibroids. INTERVENTION(S): None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE (S): Self-reported HRQOL measures including Uterine Fibroid Symptom Quality of Life, the European QOL 5 Dimension Health Questionnaire, and the visual analog scale at baseline and 1-year after hysterectomy or myomectomy. RESULT (S): Hysterectomy patients were older with a longer history of symptomatic UF compared with myomectomy patients. There were no differences in baseline HRQOL. After adjustment for baseline differences between groups, compared with myomectomy, patients' HRQOL (95% confidence interval [CI], 5.4, 17.2) and symptom severity (95% CI, -16.3, -8.8) were significantly improved with hysterectomy. When stratified across race/ethnicity and age, hysterectomy had higher HRQOL scores compared with myomectomy. There was little difference in HRQOL (95% CI, 0.1 [-9.5, 9.6]) or symptom severity (95% CI, -3.4 [-10, 3.2]) between abdominal hysterectomy and abdominal myomectomy. CONCLUSION (S): HRQOL improved in all women 1 year after hysterectomy or myomectomy. Hysterectomy patients reported higher HRQOL summary scores compared with myomectomy patients. When stratified by route, minimally invasive hysterectomy had better HRQOL scores than minimally invasive myomectomy. There was little difference in scores with abdominal approaches.

Uterine balloon tamponade for the treatment of postpartum hemorrhage: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy, effectiveness, and safety of uterine balloon tamponade for treating postpartum hemorrhage. STUDY DESIGN: We searched electronic databases (from their inception to August 2019) and bibliographies. We included randomized controlled trials, nonrandomized studies, and case series that reported on the efficacy, effectiveness, and/or safety of uterine balloon tamponade in women with postpartum hemorrhage. The primary outcome was the success rate of uterine balloon tamponade for treating postpartum hemorrhage (number of uterine balloon tamponade success cases/total number of women treated with uterine balloon tamponade). For meta-analyses, we calculated pooled success rate for all studies, and relative risk with 95% confidence intervals for studies that included a comparative arm. RESULTS: Ninety-one studies, including 4729 women, met inclusion criteria (6 randomized trials, 1 cluster randomized trial, 15 nonrandomized studies, and 69 case series). The overall pooled uterine balloon tamponade success rate was 85.9% (95% confidence interval, 83.9-87.9%). The highest success rates corresponded to uterine atony (87.1%) and placenta previa (86.8%), and the lowest to placenta accreta spectrum (66.7%) and retained products of conception (76.8%). The uterine balloon tamponade success rate was lower in cesarean deliveries (81.7%) than in vaginal deliveries (87.0%). A meta-analysis of 2 randomized trials that compared uterine balloon tamponade vs no uterine balloon tamponade in postpartum hemorrhage due to uterine atony after vaginal delivery showed no significant differences between the study groups in the risk of surgical interventions or maternal death (relative risk, 0.59; 95% confidence interval, 0.02-16.69). A meta-analysis of 2 nonrandomized before-and-after studies showed that introduction of uterine balloon tamponade in protocols for managing severe postpartum hemorrhage significantly decreased the use of arterial embolization (relative risk, 0.29; 95% confidence interval, 0.14-0.63). A nonrandomized cluster study reported that use of invasive procedures was significantly lower in the perinatal network that routinely used uterine balloon tamponade than that which did not use uterine balloon tamponade (3.0/1000 vs 5.1/1000; P < .01). A cluster randomized trial reported that the frequency of postpartum hemorrhage-related invasive procedures and/or maternal death was significantly higher after uterine balloon tamponade introduction than before uterine balloon tamponade introduction (11.6/10,000 vs 6.7/10,000; P = .04). Overall, the frequency of complications attributed to uterine balloon tamponade use was low (≤6.5%). CONCLUSION: Uterine balloon tamponade has a high success rate for treating severe postpartum hemorrhage and appears to be safe. The evidence on uterine balloon tamponade efficacy and effectiveness from randomized and nonrandomized studies is conflicting, with experimental studies suggesting no beneficial effect, in contrast with observational studies. Further research is needed to determine the most effective programmatic and healthcare delivery strategies on uterine balloon tamponade introduction and use.

Clinical outcomes of prophylactic compression sutures for treatment of uterine atony during the cesarean delivery of twins.

BACKGROUND: Twin pregnancy has a high risk for developing uterine atony (UA). This study aimed to evaluate efficacy and clinical outcomes of prophylactic compression sutures to treat UA during twin cesarean section (CS). METHODS: All patient records of twin deliveries by CS after gestational age of 24 weeks in a large maternity hospital in South Korea between January 2013 and June 2018 were reviewed. Patients with monochorionic monoamniotic twins were excluded from data analysis. In total, 953 women were eligible for data analysis. RESULTS: Of the 953 patients, compression sutures were applied to 147 cases with postpartum bleeding that were refractory to uterine massage and uterotonics. Out of the 147, two patients (1.4%) proceeded to additional uterine artery ligation to achieve hemostasis, yielding a success rate of 98.6%. The rate of transfusion after the first 24 h of delivery in the suture group was not significantly different from that in the non-suture group, suggesting that both groups achieved hemostasis at an equal rate after the first 24 h of delivery. The difference in the operation time between the two groups was only 8.5 min. The rate of subsequent pregnancy among the patients who received compression sutures was 44.4%. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, our findings suggest that with early and fast implementation of compression sutures, UA can be treated in the setting of twin cesarean delivery without significantly increasing maternal morbidity.

Direct Costs Incurred Among Women Undergoing Surgical Procedures to Treat Uterine Fibroids.

BACKGROUND: Uterine fibroids (UF) affect up to 70%-80% of women by 50 years of age and represent a substantial economic burden on patients and society. Despite the high costs associated with UF, recent studies on the costs of UF-related surgical treatments remain limited. OBJECTIVE: To describe the health care resource utilization (HCRU) and all-cause costs among women diagnosed with UF who underwent UF-related surgery. METHODS: Data from the IBM MarketScan Commercial Claims and Encounters database and Medicaid Multi-State database were independently, retrospectively analyzed from January 1, 2009, to December 31, 2015. Women aged 18-64 years with ≥ 1 UF claim from January 1, 2010, to December 31, 2014, a claim for a UF-related surgery (hysterectomy, myomectomy, uterine artery embolization [UAE], or ablation) from January 1, 2010, to November 30, 2015, and continuous enrollment for ≥ 1 year presurgery and ≥ 30 days postsurgery qualified for study inclusion. A 1-year period before the date of the first UF-related surgical claim after the first UF diagnosis was used to report baseline demographic and clinical characteristics. Surgery characteristics were reported. All-cause HCRU and costs (adjusted to 2017 U.S. dollars) were described by the 14 days pre-, peri-, and 30 days postoperative periods, and independently by the inpatient or outpatient setting. RESULTS: Overall, 113,091 patients were included in this study: commercial database, n = 103,814; Medicaid database, n = 9,277. Median time from the initial UF diagnosis to first UF-related surgical procedure was 33 days for the commercial population and 47 days for the Medicaid population. Hysterectomy was the most common UF-related surgery received after UF diagnosis (commercial, 68% [n = 70,235]; Medicaid, 75% [n = 6,928]). In both populations, 97% of patients had ≥ 1 outpatient visit from 14 days presurgery to 30 days postsurgery (commercial, n = 100,402; Medicaid, n = 9,023), and the majority of all UF-related surgeries occurred in the outpatient setting (commercial, 64% [n = 66,228]; Medicaid, 66% [n = 6,090]). Mean total all-cause costs for patients with UF who underwent any UF-related surgery were $15,813 (SD $13,804) in the commercial population (n = 95,433) and $11,493 (SD $26,724) in the Medicaid population (n = 4,785). Mean total all-cause costs for UF-related surgeries for the commercial/Medicaid populations were $17,450 (SD $13,483)/$12,273 (SD $19,637) for hysterectomy, $14,216 (SD $16,382)/$11,764 (SD $15,478) for myomectomy, $17,163 (SD $13,527)/$12,543 (SD $23,777) for UAE, $8,757 (SD $9,369)/$7,622 (SD $50,750) for ablation, and $12,281 (SD $10,080)/$5,989 (SD $5,617) for myomectomy and ablation. Mean total all-cause costs for any UF-related surgery performed in the outpatient setting in the commercial and Medicaid populations were $14,396 (SD $11,466) and $6,720 (SD $10,374), respectively, whereas costs in the inpatient setting were $18,345 (SD $16,910) and $21,805 (SD $43,244), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This retrospective analysis indicated that surgical treatment options for UF continue to represent a substantial financial burden. This underscores the need for alternative, cost-effective treatments for the management of UF. DISCLOSURES: This study was sponsored by Allergan, Dublin, Ireland. Allergan played a role in the conduct, analysis, interpretation, writing of the report, and decision to publish this study. Harrington and Ye are employees of Allergan. Stafkey-Mailey, Fuldeore, and Yue are employees of Xcenda. Ta was a contractor at Allergan at the time the study was conducted and is currently supported by a training grant from Allergan. Bonine, Shih, and Gillard are employees of Allergan and have stock, stock options, and/or restricted stock units as employees of Allergan. Banks has no disclosures to report. This study was presented as a poster at Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy Nexus 2017; October 16-19, 2017; Dallas, TX.

Uterine artery embolization versus hysterectomy in the treatment of refractory postpartum hemorrhage: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: We carried out a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the safety and effectiveness of uterine artery embolization (UAE) compared with conventional hysterectomy on refractory postpartum hemorrhage (PPH).Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure database (CNKI), Cochrane Library, and Wanfang database through October 2017 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies assessing the safety and effectiveness of UAE compared with hysterectomy on refractory PPH. The main outcome measures included the blood loss, operating time, hemostatic effective rate, and length of stay.Results: Six RCTs and nine observational studies were included in the meta-analysis, which involved 1142 women with refractory PPH. The results demonstrated that UAE was more beneficial on refractory PPH compared with hysterectomy using four scales: blood loss (WMD 893.39 mL; 95% CI: -1205.65, -581.13; p < .001); operating time (WMD -37.19 minutes; 95% CI: -44.42, -29.96; p < .001); length of stay (WMD -5.36 days; 95% CI: -5.76, -4.97; p < .001), hemostatic effective rate (OR 1.58, 95% CI: 0.80, 3.12, p = .184) .Conclusions: In the present meta-analysis, the positive findings suggest UAE has beneficial effects on refractory PPH. UAE significantly reduced blood loss, shortened the operating time, and length of stay compared with hysterectomy. And there is no difference between the UAE group and hysterectomy group in hemostatic effective rate. However, those findings should be treated with caution because of heterogeneity and potential biases.

Comparison of infrarenal aortic balloon occlusion with internal iliac artery balloon occlusion for patients with placenta accreta.

BACKGROUND: The study was designed to compare the role of infrarenal aortic artery balloon occlusion (IAABC) with internal iliac artery balloon occlusion (IIABOC). METHODS: One hundred seventy-four cases with placenta accreta were retrospectively analyzed.74 cases who had IAABC were in group A, while the others who had IIABOC were in group B. RESULTS: Amount of estimated blood loss (EBL), the rate of major blood loss, the rate of blood transfusion and uterine packing, length of hospitalization were not different in both groups. The rate of uterine artery embolization (UAE), balloon occlusion time, operation time and fetus radiation dose in group A were less than those in group B. CONCLUSIONS: IAABC resulted in better clinical outcomes than IIABOC.

Factors associated with receiving surgical treatment for menorrhagia in England and Wales: findings from a cohort study of the National Heavy Menstrual Bleeding Audit.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the factors associated with receiving surgery for heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) in England and Wales. DESIGN: National cohort study. SETTING: National Health Service hospitals. PARTICIPANTS: Women with HMB aged 18-60 who had a new referral to secondary care. METHODS: Patient-reported data linked to administrative hospital data. Risk ratios (RR) estimated using multivariable Poisson regression. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURE: Surgery within 1 year of first outpatient clinic visit. RESULTS: 14 545 women were included. At their first clinic visit, mean age was 42 years, mean symptom severity score was 62 (scale ranging from 0 (least) to 100 (most severe)), 73.9% of women reported having symptoms for >1 year and 30.4% reported no prior treatment in primary care. One year later, 42.6% had received surgery. Of these, 57.8% had endometrial ablation and 37.2% hysterectomy. Women with more severe symptoms were more likely to have received surgery (most vs least severe quintile, 33.1% vs 56.0%; RR 1.6, 95% CI 1.5 to 1.7). Surgery was more likely among those who reported prior primary care treatment compared with those who did not (48.0% vs 31.1%; RR 1.5, 95% CI 1.4 to 1.6). Surgery was less likely among Asian and more likely among black women, compared with white women. Surgery was not associated with socioeconomic deprivation. CONCLUSIONS: Receipt of surgery for HMB depends on symptom severity and prior treatment in primary care. Referral pathways should be locally audited to ensure women with HMB receive care that addresses their individual needs and preferences, especially for those who do not receive treatment in primary care.

Surgical outcomes after uterine artery occlusion at the time of myomectomy: systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To systematically review and meta-analyze evidence on surgical outcomes after uterine artery occlusion (UAO) at myomectomy. DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis. SETTING: Not applicable. PATIENT(S): Twenty-six studies involving 2,871 patients located via database searches of MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, PubMed, clinicaltrials.gov, and cited references. INTERVENTION(S): Intervention groups undergoing UAO at laparoscopic or abdominal myomectomy (UAO+M) (1,569 patients), and control groups undergoing myomectomy alone (1,302 patients). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Primary outcome of surgical blood loss (estimated blood loss, transfusion rate, and change in hemoglobin values), and secondary outcomes including operative time, length of stay, conversion and complications rates, fibroid recurrence, and changes in fibroid-related symptoms. RESULT(S): The patients undergoing UAO+M had a statistically significant reduction in estimated blood loss (mean difference [MD] -103.7 mL; 95% confidence interval [CI], -126.5 to -80.8), blood transfusion (relative risk [RR] 0.24; 95% CI, 0.15-0.39), and change in hemoglobin values (MD -0.60 g/dL; 95% CI, -0.79 to -0.40) compared with controls. Using UAO+M prolonged operative times (MD 10.9 minutes; 95% CI, 3.5-18.2) but shortened the length of stay (MD -0.37 days; 95% CI, -0.62-0.11). Using UAO+M lowered the complication rates (RR 0.73; 95% CI, 0.52-1.00) to the threshold of statistical significance and reduced the risk of fibroid recurrence (RR 0.36; 95% CI, 0.16-0.83) compared with controls. CONCLUSION(S): Uterine artery occlusion at myomectomy is associated with decreased surgical blood loss and transfusion rate compared with control patients. However, further research is required on reproductive outcomes and the effect on ovarian reserve before routine use can be recommended in women desiring future fertility.

Reintervention Rates After Myomectomy, Endometrial Ablation, and Uterine Artery Embolization for Patients with Uterine Fibroids.

BACKGROUND: Women with uterine fibroids (UF) may undergo less invasive procedures than hysterectomy, including myomectomy, endometrial ablation (EA), and uterine artery embolization (UAE); however, long-term need for reintervention is not well characterized. We estimated reintervention rates for 5 years and identified predictors of reintervention. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A longitudinal retrospective cohort study was conducted in women in MarketScan® Commercial Claims and Encounters (Truven Health Analytics) aged 18-49 years with UF diagnosis before myomectomy, EA, or UAE from 2008 to 2014. Patients were categorized by initial procedure (index date) and required to have ≥12 months of continuous coverage before and after. Kaplan-Meier analyses and Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate survival without reintervention and hazard of reintervention for 5 years. RESULTS: The study included 35,631 women with myomectomy (n = 13,804: 8,018 abdominal, 941 hysteroscopic, and 4,845 laparoscopic), EA (n = 17,198), and UAE (n = 4,629). Myomectomy had the lowest 12-month reintervention rate (4.2%), followed by UAE (7.0%), then EA (12.4%; both p < 0.001 relative of myomectomy). Estimates of 5-year reintervention rates were 19% for myomectomy (17%, 28%, and 20% for abdominal, hysteroscopic, and laparoscopic, respectively), 33% for EA, and 24% for UAE. EA and UAE had adjusted hazard ratios of 2.63 (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.44-2.83) and 1.56 (95% CI, 1.42-1.72). Prior anemia, bleeding, pelvic inflammatory disease, and abdominal and pelvic pain increased the hazard of reintervention. CONCLUSION: Reintervention rate estimates ranged from 17% to 33% for 5 years after myomectomy, EA, and UAE for patients with UF. Risk of requiring reintervention should be considered during treatment selection.

Retrospective study of patients with cesarean scar pregnancies treated by uterine artery chemoembolization and curettage.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and long-term prognosis of uterine artery chemoembolization (UACE) combined with curettage for treatment of cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP). METHODS: Data were retrospectively reviewed from women with CSPs treated by UACE with curettage at Women's Hospital of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, a tertiary obstetrics and gynecologic center in China, between December 2006 and December 2016. Information on clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes was obtained from medical records and follow-up interviews. RESULTS: There were 383 patients included; 379 (99.0%) women were successfully treated. Risk factors associated with intraoperative bleeding were size of gestational mass (P=0.001), presence of fetal heart beat (P=0.002), and type of CSP (P=0.002). Among 301 women with complete medical records over a mean ± SD follow-up of 49.8 ± 30.2 months, 164 (54.5%) women resumed normal menstruation and only 22 (7.3%) experienced a reduction in menstrual volume of more than one-half. Among 89 women attempting to conceive, the conception rate was 69% (61/89), the positive pregnancy rate was 80% (49/61), and 35 live neonates were delivered. CONCLUSION: UACE combined with curettage was found to be an effective fertility-sparing treatment for CSP. Further, the approach did not seem to harm future reproductive ability.

[Application of cervical lifting suture in hemostasis of placenta previa with increta and percreta].

Objective: To evaluate the effect of cervical lifting suture in treatment of placenta previa with increta and percreta. Methods: From January 2016 to June 2017, 65 cases (0.78%, 65/8 322) were diagnosed placenta previa with increta and percreta by prenatal ultrasonic score system and confirmed by intraoperative findings in the department of obstetrics and gynecology of Peking University Third Hospital. Totally 62 cases (0.75%, 62/8 322) were included, because 3 cases underwent hysterectomy with placenta in situ. According to ultrasonic score system, 62 cases were divided into two groups, score 5-9 group (n=42, 67.7%) and score≥10 group (n=20, 32.3%) , cervical lifting suture techniques were all performed in cesarean sections. Demographic and clinical data were collected and compared. Results: (1) There were no significant differences between two groups in age, gravidity, parity, cesarean section history ratio and gestational week of termination (all P>0.05) . (2) In score≥10 group, the median intraoperative bleeding volume was 4 000 ml (1 200-13 000 ml) , while in score 5-9 group, it was 1 600 ml (700-10 000 ml) , intraoperative blood transfusion volume was 2 000 ml (800-8 800 ml) in score≥10 group, while 1 200 ml (0-8 000 ml) in score 5-9 group. The median operation time was 240 minutes (108-1 200 minutes) in score≥10 group, significantly higher than that in score 5-9 group, which was 135 minutes (69-335 minutes; all P< 0.05). In 8 cases for hysterectomy (12.9%,8/62) , 3 cases in score 5-9 group, 5 cases in score≥10 group. (3) In score≥10 group, the rate of postoperative ICU registration was 80% and mean hospitalization time was (6.3±1.7) days, were significantly different, compared with those in score 5-9 group, which were 26%, (4.9±1.9) days. No serious postpartum complications were found in both groups, and there were no significant differences in Apgar score and weight of newborns (all P>0.05) . Conclusion: Cervical lifting suture in placenta previa with increta and percreta could significantly reduce postpartum hemorrhage and retain uterine.

Cesarean Scar Ectopic Pregnancy: Current Management Strategies.

IMPORTANCE: Cesarean scar ectopic pregnancy (CSEP) has a high rate of morbidity with nonspecific signs and symptoms making identification difficult. The criterion-standard treatment of CSEP has been subject to debate. OBJECTIVE: This review defines CSEP, discusses pathogenesis and diagnosis, and compares treatment options and outcomes. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: A literature review was performed utilizing the term cesarean scar ectopic pregnancy and subsequently selecting only meta-analyses and systematic reviews. Only articles published in English were included. Relevant articles within the reviews were analyzed as necessary. RESULTS: Five basic pathways have been identified in treatment of CSEP: expectant management, medical therapy, surgical intervention, uterine artery embolization, or a combination approach. Expectant management has the highest probability of morbid outcomes, including hemorrhage, uterine rupture, and preterm delivery. Medical management often requires further treatment with additional medication or surgery. Different surgical methods have been explored including uterine artery embolization; dilation and curettage; surgical removal via vaginal, laparoscopic, or laparotomic approach; and hysterectomy. Each method has various levels of success and depends on surgeon skill and patient presentation. CONCLUSIONS: Recent research supports any method that removes the pregnancy and scar to reduce morbidity and promote future fertility. Laparoscopic and transvaginal approaches are options for CSEP treatment, although continued research is required to identify the optimal approach. RELEVANCE: As cesarean delivery numbers rise, a subsequent increase in CSEPs can be anticipated. The ability to accurately diagnose and treat this morbid condition is vital to the practice of any specialist in general obstetrics and gynecology.