Abstract
Uterine Artery Embolisation (UAE), first described in France in 1995, rapidly became commonplace in many countries, but has had poor uptake in the developing world. Since 1998, I, along with local contacts and colleagues in Radiology and Gynaecology have been able to set up large scale UAE services in the Caribbean, based out of Trinidad and from 2009 have added UAE to a comprehensive ‘Fibroid centre’ in Kenya at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi. In each situation this has required a close working relationship with medical, hospital and political personnel. Financial considerations, careful case load selection and planning with robust pre-procedural screening and imaging has been arranged as has very careful post-procedural care and follow-up. Over 1000 UAE cases have been performed in the Caribbean with very high success rates and no major complications nor deaths. Over 100 patients have now been treated in Kenya with a similar success rate and low complication rates. A mixture state-funded and private patients have been treated in both settings. The use of Gelfoam slurry as the embolic of choice in the majority and the avoidance of micro catheters wherever possible has led to an affordable procedure with costs equivalent to or less than hysterectomy in both settings.
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Hacking, N. (2014). Costing Issues and UAE in the Developing World. In: Reidy, J., Hacking, N., McLucas, B. (eds) Radiological Interventions in Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Medical Radiology(). Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/174_2014_1011
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/174_2014_1011
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