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Microspheres of Empowerment: Redefining Women's Health
Uterine fibroids are noncancerous growths of the uterus that often appear during childbearing years. Uterine fibroids are relatively common, particularly among women of reproductive age. It is estimated that up to 70-80% of women may develop fibroids by the age of 50 (1). Fibroids are more prevalent in women aged 30-40, though they can occur at any age (2, 3). While they are usually benign, they can cause various symptoms and complications (2-4).
Over the past years, studies have proven the efficacy for the treatment of uterine fibroids and severe postpartum hemorrhage through Uterine Artery Embolization (UFE) using embolic microspheres (4, 5).
Committed to enhance women's well-being, we are proud to introduce with Embozene® a solution that not only addresses the challenges of uterine fibroids but also reflects our unwavering dedication to advancing women's health.
UAE Excellence: Advancing Uterine Fibroid Relief with Precision and Safety
Uterine artery embolization (UAE) with Embozene® microspheres is a safe and effective procedure for treating symptomatic uterine fibroids (6, 7). Its efficacy is demonstrated by high fibroid devascularization and volume reduction rates with significant improvements of clinical symptoms and quality-of-life scores (7-9).
A study, which included 121 consecutive patients with a mean age of 42.1 years yielded the following impressive results underlining the quality and precision of the Embozene® microspheres for UAE procedures (7):
- 99.2% technical success rate in 240 of 242 interventions.
- Fibroid devascularization achieved in 96% of cases.
- Significant volume reduction: 4% at 2 weeks, 52% at 3 months, 78% at 6 months, and 91% at 12 months.
- Improved hypermenorrhea in 92% at 1 year and 94% at 2 years.
- Improved dysmenorrhea in 96% at 1 year and 95% at 2 years.
- Overall health status score increased significantly from 60.4 ± 26.2 to 96.9 ± 3.8 after 1 year (P = 0.0019).
- Complications: one type A, eight type C, and one type D (SIR classification).
A Selective arteriogram of the left uterine artery. Catheter position was considered slightly too proximal (tip above the origin of the cervicovaginal branches) and was corrected for embolization.
B Final control after instillation of 3.8 ml Embozene 500-μm microspheres. Adequate angiographic endpoint was reached (7).
Revitalizing Women's Well-Being: Embozene® Microspheres in UFE - Unveiling Impressive Results in Sexual Function and Quality of Life Enhancement
The results of another study indicate a significant enhancement in all aspects of sexual function and quality of life for women undergoing UFE with Embozene® microspheres (10). These compelling findings position Embozene® as a noteworthy choice in UFE procedures for symptomatic women seeking effective improvement in sexual function and overall well-being.
Post-UFE, 78.8% of the 170 women with complete FSFI data exhibited an improvement in sexual function scores. Moreover, quality of life scores witnessed improvement in 90.2% of the 203 women analyzed, with a notable decrease in symptom severity observed in 84.9% of the 192 women studied (10).
Less is More: Embozene® Shines in UAE Procedures with Less Material, but Equal Efficacy
A comparative analysis of uterine artery embolization (UAE) procedures, evaluating two different embolic agents: tris-acryl gelatin (Embosphere, Merit Medical) and hydrogel with polymer coating (Embozene®, Varian) suggests, that using a smaller quantity of Embozene® (mean, 3.5 vs. 6.1 vials) yields comparable clinical and imaging outcomes to Embosphere in UAE procedures (11).
Practical Patient Benefits using Embozene® for UAE / UFE:
- Embozene® microspheres demonstrate safety and efficacy in UAE/UFE, with high rates of vessel occlusion and fibroid volume reduction.
- Significant improvements in clinical symptoms and quality of life scores make them a valuable option for physicians in the treatment of symptomatic uterine fibroids.
Upcoming international UFE trainings:
Hosted by Varian, we are happy to announce the following UFE training opportunities for 2024:
Want to know more about Embozene® Microspheres and why they should be the choice for your next UFE?
Reach out to our product specialists now and discover how our advanced microspheres can enhance your patient outcomes and procedural efficiency.
Anne Rohrbasser
Product Specialist
Territory Sales Manager Western Switzerland for the regions: VD, VS, NE, GE, FR, JU
Fabio Di Felice
Product Specialist
Certified Medical Technology Consultant shqa
Territory Sales Manager Central Switzerland for the regions: BE, LU, OW, NW, SO, BS, BL, AG, TI
Robert Kowalski
Product Specialist
Certified Medical Technology Consultant shqa
Territory Sales Manager Eastern Switzerland for the regions: AR, AI, GL, GR, SH, SZ, SG, TG, UR, ZG, ZH
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References
1 Stewart, E. A., Cookson, C. L., Gandolfo, R. A., & Schulze-Rath, R. (2017). Epidemiology of uterine fibroids: a systematic review. BJOG : an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology, 124(10), 1501–1512. https://doi.org/10.1111/1471-0528.14640
2 Office on Women's Health: OASH. Uterine fibroids: Uterine fibroids | Office on Women's Health (womenshealth.gov)
3 The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists: ACOG. Uterine Fibroids: Uterine Fibroids | ACOG
4 Khan, A. T., Shehmar, M., & Gupta, J. K. (2014). Uterine fibroids: current perspectives. International journal of women's health, 6, 95–114. https://doi.org/10.2147/IJWH.S51083
5 Spreu, A., Abgottspon, F., Baumann, M. U., Kettenbach, J., & Surbek, D. (2017). Efficacy of pelvic artery embolisation for severe postpartum hemorrhage. Archives of gynecology and obstetrics, 296(6), 1117–1124. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-017-4554-y
6 Sluzewski, M., van Rooij, W. J., Lohle, P. N., Beute, G. N., & Peluso, J. P. (2013). Embolization of meningiomas: comparison of safety between calibrated microspheres and polyvinyl-alcohol particles as embolic agents. AJNR. American journal of neuroradiology, 34(4), 727–729. https://doi.org/10.3174/ajnr.A3311
7 Stampfl, U., Radeleff, B., Sommer, C., Stampfl, S., Dahlke, A., Bellemann, N., Kauczor, H. U., & Richter, G. M. (2011). Midterm results of uterine artery embolization using narrow-size calibrated embozene microspheres. Cardiovascular and interventional radiology, 34(2), 295–305. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00270-010-9986-8
8 Ikink, M. E., Nijenhuis, R. J., Verkooijen, H. M., Voogt, M. J., Reuwer, P. J., Smeets, A. J., Lohle, P. N., & van den Bosch, M. A. (2014). Volumetric MR-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound versus uterine artery embolisation for treatment of symptomatic uterine fibroids: comparison of symptom improvement and reintervention rates. European radiology, 24(10), 2649–2657. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-014-3295-6
9 Smeets, A. J., Nijenhuis, R. J., van Rooij, W. J., Lampmann, L. E., Boekkooi, P. F., Vervest, H. A., De Vries, J., & Lohle, P. N. (2010). Embolization of uterine leiomyomas with polyzene F-coated hydrogel microspheres: initial experience. Journal of vascular and interventional radiology : JVIR, 21(12), 1830–1834. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvir.2010.09.014
10 Kovacsik, H. V., Herbreteau, D., Bommart, S., Beregi, J. P., Bartoli, J. M., Sapoval, M., & French Society of Interventional and cardiovascular Imaging (SFICV) research group (2017). Evaluation of Changes in Sexual Function Related to Uterine Fibroid Embolization (UFE): Results of the EFUZEN Study. Cardiovascular and interventional radiology, 40(8), 1169–1175. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00270-017-1615-3
11 P. Reddy, V. Gorantla, E. Aaltonen, M. McDermott. (2020). 3:00 PM Abstract No. 165 A comparison of Embospheres versus Embozene
for uterine artery embolization. Journal of vascular and interventional radiology : JVIR 31(3), S77. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvir.2019.12.201