What are the risks and benefits of surgical versus non-surgical treatments?
Hysterectomy, which is a surgical procedure where the uterus is removed, is the traditional treatment for adenomyosis. However, despite its effectiveness, it results in a loss of fertility. It is also associated with longer recovery times that range from 6 to 12 weeks. Some non-surgical options include hormonal treatments which simply mask symptoms and as such routinely require ongoing treatment. Uterine artery embolization is a highly effective minimally invasive non surgical treatment that treats the actual condition with resolution of symptoms in 75-80% of patients.
Sources:
- mayoclinic.org
- Bae, S. H., Kim, M. D., Kim, G. M., Lee, S. J., Park, S. I., Won, J. Y., & Lee do, Y. (2015). Uterine artery embolization for adenomyosis: percentage of necrosis predicts midterm clinical recurrence. Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology, 26(9): 1290-1296. doi: 10.1016/j.jvir.2015.04.026
- Kim, M. D., Kim, Y. M., Kim, H. C., Cho, J. H., Kang, H. G., Lee, C., Kim, H. J., & Lee, J. T. (2011). Uterine artery embolization for symptomatic adenomyosis: a new technical development of the 1-2-3 protocol and predictive factors of MR imaging affecting outcomes. Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology, 22(4): 497-502. doi: 10.1016/j.jvir.2011.01.426