Human Reproduction, Vol. 18, No. 8, 1699-1702,
August 2003
© 2003 European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology
Successful myomectomy during pregnancy
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital of Ioannina, Medical School of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
1 To whom correspondence should be addressed at: Kosti Palama 3, 45221 Ioannina, Greece. e-mail: kalantas{at}exchange.nih.gov
BACKGROUND: Although leiomyomas usually remain asymptomatic during pregnancy, they may complicate its course. In this study, pregnancy outcome observed when myomectomy was performed during pregnancy in carefully selected patients is presented. METHODS: A prospective cohort study of 13 women who underwent myomectomy during pregnancy between January 1994 and December 2001. Surgical management of leiomyoma was required on the basis of characteristics of the myoma and symptoms. RESULTS: Among a total of 15 579 women registered at the authors’ prenatal clinic, 622 consecutive pregnant women had sonographically identified myoma; hence, the incidence was 3.9% (95% CI 3.6–4.3%). The vast majority of these women was asymptomatic during pregnancy or managed conservatively (97.4%; 95% CI 96–98%). Among 622 pregnant patients with leiomyoma, 13 presented with complications during pregnancy that required surgical intervention (2.1%; 95% CI 0.9–3.2%), due to increase in lesion size causing discomfort and/or severe abdominal pain not responding to conservative management with analgesic and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug medication. In 92% of these cases, successful myomectomy was performed and the pregnancy progressed to term without further complications. CONCLUSIONS: These data provide reassurance for pregnant women with uterine myoma. Surgical management of uterine leiomyoma during pregnancy may be successfully performed in carefully selected patients.
Key words: leiomyoma/management of leiomyoma/myomectomy/pregnancy