Recurrence and prediction of abnormal uterine bleeding and re-intervention after initial hysteroscopic treatment: a retrospective cohort study

Purpose To estimate the incidence of recurrence of complaints and repeated interventions after hysteroscopic treatment for abnormal uterine bleeding in premenopausal women and to determine potential predictors for re-intervention.

Methods This is a retrospective cohort study in two secondary care centers in the Netherlands. We included 313 premenopausal women who underwent hysteroscopy for complaints of abnormal uterine bleeding and who had intrauterine pathology visualized at ultrasound. The intrauterine structure was hysteroscopically removed. These women were compared with women who had a hysteroscopy for abnormal uterine bleeding, but in whom hysteroscopy showed no abnormalities. We used Chi-squared test for categorical variables and independent-samples T test for continuous variables. p Values less than 0.05 were considered to indicate statistical significance.

Results In total, 262 women had intrauterine pathology removed at hysteroscopy; 136 (52%) women had recurrence of complaints, while 101 women (39%) underwent re-intervention. Heavy menstrual bleeding at baseline and multiparity were predictive factors for recurrence of abnormal uterine bleeding and re-intervention. In the 51 women with abnormal uterine bleeding in whom hysteroscopy showed no intrauterine abnormality, 29 women (60%) had recurrence of complaints and 12 (24%) a re-intervention.

Conclusion In premenopausal women with abnormal uterine bleeding, treatment of intrauterine pathology often does not reduce the complaints, thus questioning the effectiveness of hysteroscopic removal of these structures.