Surgical management of leiomyomata during pregnancy.

This report reviews an 8-year experience with surgical management of leiomyomata during pregnancy at Los Angeles County Women's Hospital. Fourteen patients had such surgery, for a rate of 1.1 operations per 10,000 births. Five women had exploratory laparotomy only, six had myomectomy, and three had hysterectomy; one patient aborted after surgery. Thirteen other women had incidental myomectomies at cesarean delivery; one of these had an intraoperative hemorrhage. No other complications occurred. Surgical management of leiomyomata during pregnancy is safe in carefully selected patients.