Efficacy of Uterine Artery Embolization for Patients with Postpartum Hemorrhage

Young Ho Choi, Yasutaka Baba, Shunichiro Ikeda, Young Ho So, Sadao Hayashi, Masayuki Nakajo

Department of Radiology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan.
Department of Radiology, SMG-SNU Boramae Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea.

DOI: 10.4236/ojrad.2013.32008                

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the efficacy of uterine arterial embolization (UAE) in patients with post-partum hemorrhage (PPH). Materials and Methods: The subjects were 40 women (mean age, 33 years; age range, 21 - 42 years) who underwent UAE for PPH at two institutes from June 2001 to May 2011. The rates of clinical success (avoidance of hysterectomy) and complications were calculated. Differences in related factors between primary PPH and secondary PPH and between caesarean section and vaginal delivery were examined. The risk factors associated with hysterectomy were also examined. Results: The overall clinical success rate was 90% (93% of primary PPH, 77% of secondary PPH, and 87.5% of PPH with cesarean section), and the overall complication rate was 10%. There were significant differences in time to PPH (P < 0.0001) and in blood infusion after UAE (P = 0.0158) between subtypes of primary and secondary PPH and in blood infusion before UAE (P = 0.0052) between delivery methods. The significant factors associated with hysterectomy were cesarean section (P = 0.02), severe PPH (>1000 mL bleeding, P = 0.03), and embolization of non-uterine arteries (P = 0.02).

Keywords

Postpartum Hemorrhage; Uterine Artery Embolization; Uterus Preservation

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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