Serious complications of uterine artery embolization for conservative treatment of fibroids

Objective: Document major complications following treatment of fibroids by uterine artery embolization (UAE). Design: Two case reports. Setting: University medical center. Patient(s): Two women with symptomatic fibroid uteri. Intervention(s): Selective bilateral uterine artery embolization. Main Outcome Measure(s): Complications attributable to UAE. Result(s): Two patients experienced significant morbidity requiring hysterectomy due to infection and/or partial bowel obstruction resulting from UAE. Conclusion(s): Reports of the management of symptoms related to fibroids with UAE infrequently include adverse outcomes and/or complications. The two cases we managed reinforce that UAE is not free of the risk of life-threatening complications that require emergency hysterectomy. Increasing surveillance for complications may help define the selection criteria that decrease the risks of UAE.