Myomectomy during cesarean section: a safe procedure?

Abstract

A patient's frequent request is the simultaneous surgical removal of a previously diagnosed myoma during cesarean section. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of myomectomy during cesarean section. From January 1995 until December 2004, 47 pregnant women with coexisting uterine myomas underwent cesarean section and simultaneous myomectomy. All cesarean sections were performed by residents while myomectomies were conducted by the senior staff. Intraoperative and postoperative complications such as blood loss were estimated and compared with 94 women with uterine myomas who underwent surgical delivery without removal of the fibroids. Furthermore, the length of hospitalization was compared between the two groups. Myomectomy added a mean time of 15 min to the operative time of cesarean section. No hysterectomy was performed at the time of the cesarean section. No complications were developed during the puerperium. The difference between the preoperative and postoperative hemoglobin mean value was statistically significant (P=0.001) but did not differ between isolated cesarean and myomectomy-combined cesarean groups. None of the patients received blood transfusion. The length of hospitalization was comparable between the two groups. Despite controversial literature data, we suggest that myomectomy during cesarean section could be generally recommended. Depending on size and location of myomas, the associated risks are similar to those of isolated cesarean section.