Laparoscopic myomectomy in African-American women.

STUDY OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effectiveness of laparoscopic myomectomy in an ethnic group with a statistically increased frequency of uterine leiomyomata.

DESIGN

Retrospective chart review.

SETTING

Private practice of one surgeon, and Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Rush Medical College, Chicago, Illinois.

PATIENTS

Forty-one consecutive African-American women who underwent laparoscopic myomectomy and were followed for 12 to 26 months.

INTERVENTIONS

The women received a modified protocol for gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist treatment before laparoscopic surgery. Laparoscopic myomectomies were performed under general anesthesia using energy sources of monopolar and bipolar electrosurgery and ultrasonic coagulation-cutting (harmonic scalpel).

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Seventy percent (70%, 29 women) of procedures were completed on an outpatient basis. Twelve patients were hospitalized for an average of 1.3 days. No significant operative or postoperative complications occurred, and none of the women required blood transfusions or readmission. The conversion rate was zero. Forty patients (91%) reported complete resolution or significant reduction of their symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

Outpatient laparoscopic myomectomy is safe and effective in African-American women with symptomatic uterine leiomyomata of 20 weeks' size or less.