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.