Clinical Performance of Radiofrequency Ablation for Treatment of Uterine Fibroids: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Prospective Studies

Background: Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) has emerged as a safe and effective treatment option for women with symptomatic uterine fibroids and can be delivered by laparoscopic, transvaginal, or transcervical approaches. The evidence regarding typical patient outcomes with RFA has not previously been examined in a comprehensive fashion. Materials and Methods: We performed a systematic review of prospective studies for treatment of uterine fibroids with RFA. Main outcomes were procedure time, patient recovery metrics, change in fibroid volume, symptom severity score (SSS), health-related quality of life (HRQL), and reinterventions. Data were analyzed with random effects meta-analysis and metaregression. Results: We identified 32 articles of 1283 unique patients (median age: 42 years) treated with laparoscopic RFA (19 articles), transvaginal RFA (8 articles), or transcervical fibroid ablation (5 articles). Mean procedure time was 49 minutes, time to discharge was 8.2 hours, time to normal activities was 5.2 days, and time to return to work was 5.1 days. At 12 months follow-up, fibroid volume decreased by 66%, HRQL increased by 39 points, and SSS decreased by 42 points (all P < .001 versus baseline). The annual cumulative rate of reinterventions due to fibroid-related symptoms was 4.2%, 8.2%, and 11.5% through 3 years. Conclusions: RFA of uterine fibroids significantly reduces fibroid volume, provides significant durable improvements in fibroid-related quality of life, and is associated with favorable reintervention rates.