The role of mini laparotomy in patients with uterine myomas

Aim: The aim of our study was to evaluate the therapeutic effectiveness of myomectomy by mini laparotomy in patients with subserosal and/or intramural uterine myomas. Methods: Between January 2002 and December 2008, about 83 women with symptomatic uterine myomas were referred to the 2nd Department of Gynecology of St. Savvas Anticancer - Oncologic Hospital of Athens. In the study included women with subserosal and/or intramural uterine myomas with a maximum diameter of 10 cm. All patients underwent myomectomy by mini laparotomy. Results: The median age of the patients was 36.8 years (range 19-43). The median number of the removed uterine myomas was 3.1 (range 1-12) and the median operative time was 98 minutes (range 47-170). All patients mobilized within the first 24 hours and the median time of postoperative ileus was 1.6 days (range 1-3). The median hospital stay was 44 hours (range 30-120). We had no serious intraoperative or early postoperative complications. Conversion to laparotomy was performed only in 4 cases (4.82%), but none of the patients underwent to emergency hysterectomy. During a mean follow up of 38 months we had no recurrences of uterine myomas in our study population. Conclusion: Mini laparotomic myomectomy is a safe and effective minimally invasive method alternative to laparoscopic myomectomy for patients with subserosal and/or intramural uterine myomas