(Fairfax, VA, Wednesday, March 17, 2021) – Many women suffering significant postpartum bleeding continue to receive hysterectomies, rather than uterine artery embolization (UAE), despite evidence that UAE results in reduced hospital stays and costs, and offers the opportunity to preserve fertility, according to new research to be presented at the Society of Interventional Radiology Annual Scientific Meeting.   

Janice Newsome, MD, FSIR, Associate Professor, Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences at Emory University School of Medicine, shares her research results.

SOUNDBITE #1:

NEW RESEARCH SHOWS WOMEN SUFFERING POSTPARTUM BLEEDING CONTINUE TO RECEIVE HYSTERECTOMIES, RATHER THAN UTERINE ARTERY EMBOLIZATION, WHICH IS AN INTERVENTIONAL RADIOLOGY TREATMENT, DESPITE EVIDENCE THAT U- A- E RESULTS IN REDUCED HOSPITAL STAYS AND COSTS.  MORE SPECIFICALLY, HYSTERECTOMY PATIENTS ARE TWICE AS LIKELY TO HAVE PROLONGED HOSPITAL STAYS OF MORE THAN FOURTEEN DAYS AND INCUR AN EXTRA EIGHTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS IN HOSPITAL COSTS.  AS A CONSEQUENCE, ALL PATIENTS IN CHILD-BIRTH SHOULD HAVE CONSISTENT ACCESS TO THIS MINIMALLY INVASIVE INTERVENTIONAL RADIOLOGY TREATMENT THAT IS SAFER, HAS AN EASIER RECOVERY, AND OFFERS AN OPPORTUNITY TO PRESERVE A WOMAN’S ABILITY TO HAVE CHILDREN.

SOUNDBITE #2:

POSTPARTUM HEMORRHAGING OCCURS IN ROUGHLY 100,000 DELIVERIES A YEAR AND CAN OCCUR WITHOUT WARNING, SO THE MOST EFFECTIVE TREATMENT OPTIONS SHOULD BE READILY AVAILABLE TO EVERY WOMAN HAVING A CHILD IN THE UNITED STATES.  OUR GOAL IS TO CREATE A POSTPARTUM HEMORRHAGE RESPONSE TEAM THAT WILL TRAIN TOGETHER, DEVELOP RESPONSE PROTOCOLS, AND ENSURE THE RIGHT STAFF ARE ON HAND TO RESPOND TO THIS LIFE-THREATENING MEDICAL CONDITION.

To learn more about this and other interventional radiology treatments, visit SIRweb.org.