Cost analysis of myomectomy, hysterectomy, and uterine artery embolization

Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare inpatient hospital costs of different treatments of uterine fibroid tumors, including myomectomy, hysterectomy, and uterine artery embolization in a teaching hospital. Study Design: We reviewed the hospital database of 545 women with uterine fibroid tumors who were treated with abdominal myomectomy, total abdominal hysterectomy, vaginal hysterectomy, and uterine artery embolization between April 1997 and October 2001. Results: Women who underwent hysterectomies and uterine artery embolization were significantly older than the women who underwent myomectomy. Uterine artery embolization was associated with the shortest hospital stay, although the hospital stay in the vaginal hysterectomy group was shorter than in the abdominal myomectomy and the total abdominal hysterectomy groups. Compared with other groups, the inpatient cost of nursing in the uterine artery embolization group was the lowest. The total inpatient cost of uterine artery embolization ($1007.44 ± $60.65 [Canadian dollars]) was significantly lower than the cost of total abdominal hysterectomy ($1933.37 ± $47.68 [Canadian dollars]), abdominal myomectomy ($1781.73 ± $47.16 [Canadian dollars]), and vaginal hysterectomy ($1515.39 ± $66.72 [Canadian dollars]; P