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. 2019 Jan 22;2019(1):CD001501. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD001501.pub5

Duleba 2003.

Methods Multi‐centre (10), parallel prospective randomised design
Timing: not specified
Participants 279 women randomised; aged 30 to 50 years (mean EC 41.2 (5.1) and RBE 41.1 (4.8)); recruited from university and private medical centres in the USA
 Inclusion criteria:
  • Menorrhagia due to benign causes

  • Good general health

  • Documented history of excessive uterine bleeding for at least 3 months

  • Failed traditional therapy

  • Did not desire future fertility

  • PBAC > 150


Exclusion criteria:
  • Uterine volume > 300 mL

  • Uterine cavity sounding > 10 cm

  • Clotting deficit or bleeding disorders

  • Active pelvic inflammatory disease

  • Abnormal cervical cytology within 1 year

  • History of gynaecological malignancy within 5 years

  • Intramural myomas > 2 cm, submucous myomas, or endometrial polyps

  • Septate uterus

  • Previous endometrial ablation or other surgery in which thinning of the uterine wall may occur

  • Malignant pathology or hyperplasia

  • Pregnancy

Interventions
  • Endometrial cryoablation (n = 193)

  • Rollerball electro‐ablation (n = 86)

Outcomes
  • Menstrual diaries 1 cycle before and 12 months after

  • PBAC

  • Bleeding

  • Pain

  • Mood

  • PMS

  • QOL ‐ Dartmouth COOP assessment questionnaire

  • Anaesthesia

  • Adverse outcomes

  • Satisfaction

Notes Power calculation performed; study authors did not state intention‐to‐treat analysis
 Funding: Cryogen Inc. (Duleba, Soderstrom, and Townsend all consultants to Cryogen Inc.)
Conflicts of interest: not reported
"those randomised to cryoablation had significantly worse menorrhagia"
Risk of bias
Bias Authors' judgement Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias) Unclear risk Method not reported
Allocation concealment (selection bias) Unclear risk Sealed envelopes but no other details of how allocation was concealed
Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias) 
 All outcomes High risk Unlikely
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) 
 All outcomes High risk Unlikely
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) 
 All outcomes Unclear risk 51/279 (18%) dropouts for outcomes measured at 12 months ‐ no reasons given nor details on distribution per group
Selective reporting (reporting bias) Low risk All prespecified outcomes reported
Other bias Unclear risk Participants receiving cryoablation had higher PBAC scores at baseline; study authors were consultants for the medical equipment company that provided funding for cryoablation