No abstract

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility and safety of vaginal delivery after ultrasound-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) ablation treatment for women with uterine fibroids of childbearing ages. Methods: A prospective study was conducted on women who underwent ultrasound-guided HIFU therapy for uterine fibroids at the Chinese PLA General Hospital from January 2008 to December 2014. Patients were interviewed yearly to assess their fertility outcomes, including conception method, delivery mode, neonatal outcomes and complications during pregnancy, labor, and delivery. Results: A total of 174 patients with plans for future pregnancy were included, and 88 pregnancies in 81 women occurred. The pregnancy rate was 46.6% (81/174), and the median follow-up time was 76 months. The rate of pregnancies that ended in miscarriages was 10% (9/88), the rate of elective pregnancy termination was 6% (5/88), and 84% (74/88) of the pregnancies resulted in deliveries, with 3 of the 71 women having two deliveries. A cesarean section was requested by 50% (37/74) of the women, and 50% (37/74) opted for a vaginal delivery. Eleven of the 37 pregnancies were scheduled for elective cesarean sections, owing to pregnancy complications; the remaining 26 pregnancies were scheduled for vaginal delivery, and 21 (80.8%) were successful. None of the patients with a vaginal delivery experienced any complications during pregnancy and labor. Conclusions: Ultrasound-guided HIFU ablation could be considered a promising clinical treatment for women with uterine fibroids and plans for future pregnancy, and vaginal delivery after ultrasoundguided HIFU ablation treatment appear to be feasible and safe.

Superficial thrombophlebitis is one of the most significant complications of superficial vein thrombosis. Rapid imaging and mapping with the high resolution is particularly important for accurate diagnosis so as to...

Retraction of ‘A solid ultrasonic coupling membrane for superficial vascular ultrasonography’ by Di Sun et al., Nanoscale, 2022, 14, 3545–3553, https://doi.org/10.1039/D1NR05353A.