Basal FSH level changes after different types of uterine vessel occlusion in the management of uterine fibroids

Objective: To assess the effect on FSH of the application of different types of uterine vessel blockage (uterine artery occlusion alone [UAO] or with blockage of vessel anastomosis [UVO]) in the management of women with fibroids. Design: Case-control study. Setting: Medical center. Patient(s): One hundred ten women with uterine fibroids. Intervention(s): Forty-four consecutive patients undergoing UAO were compared with 66 matched subjects who underwent UVO during the same period. Main Outcome Measure(s): Surgery types and FSH levels were compared. Result(s): At the first month after surgery, FSH levels were elevated from 5.5 mIU/mL to 14.2 and 8.7 mIU/mL in the UVO and UAO groups, respectively. The difference between the 2 groups continued up to 6 months and disappeared thereafter. More patients (38%) in the UVO group had an increased FSH level of >10 mIU/mL, compared with 5% in the UAO group at the first month after surgery, which contributed to the high percentage of women with irregular menstruation. Conclusion(s): Women treated with UVO were associated with a greater risk of a significant increase in FSH level at the first month after operation than those treated with UAO, which may be a reflection of diminished ovarian function. The long-term effect was uncertain, because of the lack of difference in the FSH levels between the two groups.