The significance of transcervical ultrasound-guided radiofrequency ablation in the treatment of symptomatic fibroids: results of an expert consensus from German-speaking countries.

Uterine fibroids are one of the most common diseases in female patients, lead mainly to bleeding disorders and lower abdominal pain, and reduce the chance of having children. In recent years we have seen a trend towards more and more pharmacotherapies and minimally invasive organ-preserving treatments. One novel and innovative procedure for an organ-preserving treatment of symptomatic uterine fibroids is the transcervical ultrasound-guided radiofrequency ablation (TRFA). TRFA has been used in Germany since 2013 and later found use in other German-speaking countries as well. There have now been more than 1200 TRFA treatments performed in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Experts from these three countries came together for a consensus meeting to analyze the significance of the procedure in the overall concept of the treatment of symptomatic uterine fibroids.

Pregnancy Outcomes After Transcervical Radiofrequency Ablation of Uterine Fibroids with the Sonata System.

Objective: To describe pregnancy outcomes in women who conceived after undergoing transcervical fibroid ablation (TFA) as treatment for symptomatic uterine fibroids. Materials and Methods: TFA was used to treat symptomatic uterine fibroids with radiofrequency energy, both under clinical trial protocol and commercial usage in hospitals in Europe, the United Kingdom, Mexico, and the United States. All women who reported pregnancies to their physicians after undergoing TFA with the Sonata® System and provided consent for use of their data were included. Results: There have been 36 pregnancies representing 20 deliveries among 28 women who were treated with TFA. Five women conceived more than once postablation, and four conceived as a result of assisted reproductive technology (ART). Outcomes include 8 vaginal deliveries, 12 Cesarean sections, 3 therapeutic abortions, and 8 first trimester spontaneous abortions (four occurring in a patient with a history of recurrent pregnancy loss and an immunologic disorder). Five women are currently pregnant, two of whom previously delivered after TFA. There were no 5-minute Apgar scores <7, and all neonates weighed >2500 g. All deliveries occurred at ≥37 weeks except for one delivery at 35 6/7 weeks. There were no uterine ruptures or abnormal placentation and no reports of postpartum hemorrhage or stillbirths. Ablated fibroids included transmural, submucous, and intramural myomata up to 7 cm in diameter. Conclusions: Normal pregnancy outcomes at term have occurred after TFA with the Sonata System, including in women with recurrent abortion and in those undergoing ART. There were no instances of low Apgar scores, low birthweight, stillbirth, postpartum hemorrhage, or uterine rupture (FAST-EU, NCT01226290; SONATA, NCT02228174; SAGE, NCT03 118037). (J GYNECOL SURG 38:207).

Prevalence and determinants of vitamin D deficiency in the third trimester of pregnancy: a multicentre study in Switzerland.

Vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy is associated with negative health consequences for mothers and their infants. Data on the vitamin D status of pregnant women in Switzerland are scarce. A three-centre study was conducted in the obstetric departments of Zurich, Bellinzona and Samedan (Switzerland) to investigate the prevalence and determinants of vitamin D deficiency (serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D)<50 nmol/l) in 3rd-trimester pregnant women living in Switzerland (n 305), and the correlation between 25(OH)D in pregnant women and their offspring at birth (n 278). Demographic and questionnaire data were used to explore the determinants of vitamin D deficiency. Median concentration of serum 25(OH)D in the third trimester of pregnancy was 46·0 nmol/l (1st-3rd quartiles: 30·5-68·5), representing a 53·4 % prevalence of vitamin D deficiency. 25(OH)D levels in the umbilcal cord blood (median: 50·0 nmol/l; 1st-3rd quartiles: 31·0-76·6) strongly correlated with mothers' serum 25(OH)D (Spearman's correlation ρ=0·79, P<0·001). Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that significant determinants of vitamin D deficiency in pregnant women were centre of study, country of origin, season of delivery and vitamin D supplement intake. Near-term BMI, skin colour, use of sunscreen and mothers' education, although each not individually significant, collectively improved the ability of the model to explain vitamin D status. Low vitamin D levels were common in this sample of pregnant women and their newborns' cord blood. Vitamin D supplement intake was the most actionable determinant of vitamin D status, suggesting that vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy should receive more attention in clinical practice.

Transcervical Radiofrequency Ablation of Uterine Fibroids Global Registry (SAGE): Study Protocol and Preliminary Results.

BACKGROUND: Transcervical fibroid ablation (TFA) is a minimally invasive, effective treatment of symptomatic uterine fibroids that utilizes intrauterine ultrasound for imaging and radiofrequency energy for ablation. Outcomes reported with TFA have been positive, with significant reductions in fibroid volume, improvements in symptom severity and health-related quality of life, and low complication and surgical reintervention rates. The SAGE registry characterizes the long-term (5-year) outcomes of TFA when used to treat symptomatic uterine fibroids in real-world usage. METHODS/DESIGN: SAGE is an ongoing postmarket global registry involving up to 50 sites and up to 500 women who select TFA with the Sonata system for treatment of symptomatic uterine fibroids. Patients are followed for 5 years. Main outcomes include symptom severity score and health-related quality of life subscales of the UFS-QoL, general health status on the EQ-5D, perceived treatment benefit, treatment satisfaction, work and activity patterns, overall patient treatment outcome, adverse events, pregnancy incidence and outcomes, and surgical reinterventions for heavy menstrual bleeding. DISCUSSION: The SAGE registry represents the largest known study of TFA for uterine fibroids and will generate up to 2500 patient-years of outcome data. Preliminary results from the first 160 treated women suggest broad applicability of TFA to a wide range of fibroid types and sizes and an excellent safety profile, with a device-related adverse event rate of 0.6% and a serious procedure-related adverse event rate of 0.6%. Of the 241 fibroids treated, 10% were submucous, 52% transmural, 28% intramural, and 10% subserous. Ablated fibroid diameters ranged from <1 cm to >10 cm, with 27% of fibroids having maximum diameters >5 cm. The real-world experience from SAGE will strengthen the existing evidence on the durability of TFA in providing meaningful relief from uterine fibroid symptoms and will have important clinical and economic implications for patients, physicians, and healthcare payers. TRIAL REGISTRATION: https://clinicaltrials.gov, NCT03118037. Registered on 18 April 2017.