Two-catheter technique for uterine fibroid embolisation

This paper describes a method of uterine artery embolisation (UAE) using bi lateral femoral artery punctures and two separate catheters for selective c atheterisation of the uterine arteries. Bilateral uterine artery catheteris ation was performed from the contralateral common femoral arteries. The two catheters are placed within the uterine arteries prior to arteriography. S imultaneous arteriography was performed before and after embolisation. In s ome cases, simultaneous embolisation was performed by separate physician op erators. To date, 115 patients have been treated. The first four had unilat eral femoral puncture. All the subsequent patients were treated with bilate ral femoral puncture. The embolisation was successful bilaterally in 113 pa tients. Unilateral embolisation was successful in one patient, with only on e patent uterine vessel. The procedure failed in one patient, despite paten t uterine arteries bilaterally. A total of 226 femoral punctures were used in this group of patients. There were no puncture-site complications. We co nclude that bilateral femoral puncture as a method of UAE is an effective a lternative approach that may have distinct advantages over unilateral punct ure.