Rethinking Disparities in Minimally Invasive Myomectomy: Identifying Drivers of Disparate Surgical Approach to Myomectomy Between African American and White Women.

STUDY OBJECTIVE

To identify drivers of disparities among patients undergoing surgical management of myomas when stratified by self-identified patient race.

DESIGN

This is a retrospective institutional review board-approved chart review of all patients who underwent a myomectomy at a large academic center. Surgical approach to myomectomy was classified as abdominal, laparoscopic, or robotic-assisted laparoscopic. Myoma burden was quantified preoperatively using uterine volume, intraoperatively by number of myomas listed on operative report, and postoperatively by myoma weight from pathology reports.

SETTING

A large tertiary care hospital containing a comprehensive myoma treatment center.

PATIENTS

A total of 265 white patients and 121 African American patients who underwent a myomectomy between January 2012 and October 2018 were included in the study population.

INTERVENTIONS

Abdominal, laparoscopic, and robotic-assisted myomectomy. Laparoscopic and robotic-assisted myomectomy were classified as minimally invasive myomectomy. Multivariable logistic regression models and a propensity score matching algorithm were used to match African American (AA) women and white women for myoma burden.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

A total of 386 women were included in the study. AA women (31%; n = 121) had higher myoma burden than white women by preoperative imaging (AA: 36% with 3 or more myomas; white: 19% with 3 or more myomas; p <.01) and operative report (>8 AA: 31% vs white 13%; p <.01). Despite this, AA women underwent minimally invasive myomectomy at similar rates as compared with white women when adjusted for myoma burden, body mass index, preoperative hematocrit, hypertension, and surgical indication (adjusted odds ratio 1.3; 95% confidence interval, 0.8-2.2 myomas; p <.01). Sensitivity analysis using propensity score matching found similar results.

CONCLUSION

In this population, AA women had a higher myoma burden than white women. When matched for myoma burden, however, there was no statistically significant difference between rates of minimally invasive myomectomy and abdominal myomectomy. This finding was consistent when controlling for myoma burden measured by preoperative, intraoperative, or postoperative methods of measurement. Further studies are needed to better characterize this disparity at other hospitals and to investigate ways to increase access and equity among patients undergoing minimally invasive myomectomy.